A Forced Vacation
by ViolaRosa98
Summary: After Avatar Aang and Master Katara's "wild child," Bumi, gets into trouble again at school, he's sent to live with Fire Lord Zuko, Fire Lady Mai, and Crown Princess Izumi at their beach house on Ember Island for a while. While there, he discovers that, somehow, one of the most powerful firebenders in the world can relate to his struggles. Note: There is some Bumizumi fluff.
1. The Fight

CHAPTER ONE

"Did you see the way our teacher stared at you when you answered that question about the invasion on the Day of Black Sun?" My closest friend, Haiyang, asks me as I take a sip from the water fountain on the school courtyard. "I'd bet twenty yuans that she's just _dying_ for Conference Day so that she can meet the all-mighty _Avatar_!"

"Ugh, don't say 'Avatar' like that," I groan. I stand upright and step to the side so that Haiyang can drink from the fountain. "There's no reason to emphasize his position. He's my dad and—."

"And what, Bumi?" Haiyang interrupts. "And nothing else? Nope. You've got to face it, bro. Avatar Aang might be your dad, but to everyone else he's the most powerful man in the entire world."

"Yet his firstborn son is a pathetic _nonbender_."

I turn in the direction of the voice and, upon seeing who the voice belongs to, narrow my eyes. "Hello, Hiroto," I greet him, crossing my arms over my chest and shooting him a sharp look. I don't attempt to hide the contempt in my voice as I also greet his two cronies, Kesuk and Tairu, who are on his right and left, respectively.

"Avatar Aang might be able to control all four elements, but he clearly can't control who his children are. If he could, _this one_ wouldn't exist," Hiroto sneers, gesturing towards me.

"Yeah, whatever," I growl. I grab Haiyang's wrist and jerk my head to my right. "Come on, man, let's get out of here," I say, remembering what Dad always tells me: _avoid conflict by removing yourself from the situation._

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" barks Tairu. He stomps his foot on the ground, encasing my ankles in rocks so that it's impossible for me to continue walking.

"Hey!" I cry. "You're not allowed to bend on the courtyard!"

"Oh, don't be jealous, Bumi," Tairu smirks. He flicks his wrist slightly and the rocks around my ankles fall away, freeing me.

I shake my head, attempting to quell the anger rising within me, and start walking away again — but before I can take a second step away from the trio, Kesuk draws the water from the fountain into a miniature water whip and smacks me upside the head.

I rest a hand on the back of my head where the water smacked me and glare at them. "What do you want?" I snarl.

"I want you to tell me something, Bumi." A small smile appears on Hiroto's face as he raises one eyebrow at me. "Does your father try to teach you how to get through the spinning gates, too, or does he just consider that — and _you_ — a waste of his precious time?"

I answer him with nothing but a glare.

 _If you cannot avoid throwing a punch, at least try to avoid throwing the_ first _punch._

The words of my ever-wise father swim around in my mind, and I decide against starting a fight with these idiots. "I'll have you know I've mastered the spinning gates, Hiroto."

He shoots me a dubious look. "Oh?" He glances at his two friends, smirks, and then returns his attention to me. "What good does that do you, Bumi? I'm curious. What good does mastering a classic airbending training exercise do _you_ , a _nonbender_?"

"Why don't you come find out, if you're so curious?" I dare, jumping into a defensive position. I hold my fists close together in front of my chest, protecting my center, and glare at him again.

"What are you _doing_ , Bumi?" Haiyang whispers, looking nervously from me to the trio.

"He's acting stupid and challenging a bender," Hiroto answers, shaking his head. "Come on, Bumi, have your sparring matches with Kya taught you _nothing_ about your inadequacy?"

"She's only _eight_ ," I reveal, lowering my defenses slightly. "I don't spar with her."

"Are you afraid of losing to an eight-year-old?" he asks, laughing. "You should be. She's been more powerful than you since the moment she learned she can bend." He shoots me a sharp look. "You're going to regret challenging me, Bumi."

He shoots a fire blast at me, which I dodge with ease — but since there's so little distance between us, it singes the edge of my sleeve. I glance down at it to check the damage and, seeing that it's minimal, ignore it. "Come on, don't tell me that's all you've got, hothead," I taunt.

I watch Hiroto as his eyes narrow and as he aims a barrage of quick fire jabs at me, which I am able to dodge thanks to all those lessons involving the spinning gates back at home.

Hiroto stares at me, a bit surprised that I was able to dodge all of his fire jabs, and I take advantage of his surprise and start inching closer to him. I start to go on the offensive, but just as I go to attack, he jumps up to avoid my punch and kicks his leg out, releasing a large stream of fire. I'm forced to duck and shield my face with my arms, but as I quiver on the ground a water whip smacks Hiroto in the face and then grabs hold of his wrist, directing the flame stemming from it in the direction opposite me.

"You need to _cool off_ ," Haiyang growls. He sends a wave crashing over Hiroto, leaving him drenched, and then holds out his hand and pulls me up. "You alright, Bumi?" he asks me.

"Yeah." I glance at Hiroto, who's standing a couple of feet away, fuming. "Thanks," I add.

He gives me a quick nod and gets back into position, ready to help me defend myself.

"Hey, Kesuk, take care of the one that likes to splash people, will you?" Hiroto growls.

Kesuk smashes his fist into his open palm and smiles. "Gladly," he smiles, drawing the water from the fountain out and turning the wave into a barrage of ice spears that he directs at Haiyang. He uses his own skill to turn the ice spears into a shield, then starts breaking pieces of the shield off and sends them flying towards Kesuk.

"While they _splash_ each other, let's get back to business." Hiroto sends a fire bomb my way. I dodge it and take a step towards him, observing him closely as I do so to find a weakness in his form so that I can exploit it and go on the offensive.

When I raise my foot to take another step, he encases my ankle in a fire whip and trips me — and while I'm on the ground, Tairu traps me in an earth shelter. I attempt to free myself, only to decide a moment later that any effort to do so would be futile.

I glare at Tairu, who's standing with his arms crossed over his chest, smirking at me, and then direct my attention towards Hiroto. As he approaches me, a sneer on his lips, fire daggers appear at his fists. I turn my head to the side and close my eyes to give myself some meager protection from the heat of the flame as he holds one dagger up to me, refusing to hang my head. I will not concede defeat because I am not giving up. I refuse to give up… even though I know I'm beat.

As the flame stemming from Hiroto's fist starts searing the skin on my neck, a savior appears. "Hiroto!" she shouts. "You know the rule — no bending in the courtyard! And Tairu, release Bumi immediately!"

As Hiroto takes a step backwards, Tairu collapses the earth shelter into pebbles and Haiyang immediately lets the water at his hands fall to a puddle at his feet. Kesuk does the same.

"You four, go to the headmaster's office — _now_!" The teacher commands, her voice authoritative and thundering.

Haiyang starts to protest, then decides against it. He closes his mouth and falls into line behind the three bullies. I shoot him an apologetic look, but he just shrugs and turns around again to glare at the back of Kesuk's head.

"Are you alright, Bumi?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'm alright," I answer, dusting off my clothes and massaging the part of my neck that Hiroto's fire had started to burn. It hurts a bit, but other than that and the small amount of damage to my sleeve, I've escaped unscathed.

"Well, what's say you go to the infirmary and get checked out anyway?" she suggests, laying a hand delicately on my shoulder.

I just shrug out of her hold and turn to go inside without another word to her.


	2. Running Away

CHAPTER TWO

"Bumi?"

"Come in."

"They're ready to talk to you now."

I lean back against my bed's headboard and close my eyes, asking the spirits for the courage and the strength I know I'll need to face my parents. When neither come, I sigh and heave myself off the bed.

"What did you do this time?" Kya asks me, staring curiously at me.

 _This time._ I can't help but chuckle at the words. _This time._ Yes, _this_ time — because this is definitely not the first time I've gotten into trouble at school, and it _certainly_ will not be the last. I'm the wild child, after all.

On one hand, the idea that I can't control myself is insulting because I really do _try_ to refrain from fighting. On the other hand, though, I can't help but smile at my family's nickname for me because it's an identifier. It identifies me as someone other than the nonbender in what is arguably the most powerful family in the entire world. I would rather be just Bumi, but… well, being the wild child is better than being the nonbender.

It's better than being nobody.

"Bumi?"

I glance down at Kya and notice that the edges of her characteristic Water Tribe outfit are swaying back and forth according to the breeze coming in through my open window. _She is the spitting image of our mother_ , I think before finally answering her. "I got into a fight at school."

"Again?"

I scrunch up my nose and direct my gaze to the floor — that word is grating. "Yes."

"Did you win?" she inquires innocently, her big blue eyes staring into my own storm-colored ones.

I'm too embarrassed to tell her that I lost miserably, so I just smile down at her sadly and tousle her hair for a bit before leaving the room without another word. When I reach Dad's study and notice that the door is closed, I debate whether or not I should knock — but just as I'm about to, the all-mighty Avatar tells me to come in.

 _Stupid Dad and his stupid seismic sense_ , I grumble silently. _Stupid earthbending. I could have won that fight if Tairu hadn't trapped me in his stupid rocks._

I walk into the room and shut the door behind me, then stand just in front of the door, afraid to approach them. This is the third fight I've been involved in this month alone, and the air in the room is tense from what I can only assume is their anger and disappointment.

"Do you want to give us your side of the story?" My mother, Master Katara, asks me.

I start to open my mouth so that I can tell them that I tried to avoid the fight, that I tried to just let it go and remove myself from the situation, but then I close it again and shake my head. My parents aren't going to believe me — and even if they _do_ believe me, they won't care.

"You have nothing at all to say, Bumi?" she insists.

I stare at the carpet for a second, then lift my head to look at her and Dad, who was the one who came to pick me up from school. He had been summoned from a council meeting at City Hall, and he hadn't been happy that he'd had to leave prematurely to come pick me up and fly me back to Air Temple Island… _again_.

"Do… do you know what happened to Haiyang?" I ask Dad timidly, knowing that Haiyang had still been in the headmaster's office when he came to pick me up from school.

"He was involved in this fight, too?" Dad asks, surprised.

 _I guess he doesn't know what happened to him._

"Yes."

"I'm surprised — that's not like Haiyang," Dad murmurs, running his fingers along the length of his short brown beard.

"It's not. He's such a sweet boy. Why was he fighting?" Mom queries.

"He was defending me."

She shoots me a curious look. "Defending you?"

I shift my gaze to the floor again, my eyes narrowing and my eyebrows coming together to form a V. "Well, I was at a bit of a disadvantage going against three benders," I say. I glance up at them before returning my attention to the carpet beneath me. "He jumped to my defense and started fighting Kesuk, another waterbender." I sigh. "I hope he didn't get into too much trouble… but he was winning the fight, and—."

"Why was there a fight going on at all, son?" Dad asks, interrupting me. "Do you not listen to me when I talk about avoiding unnecessary conflict?"

I raise my head to meet Dad's gaze, my gray eyes pleading with his identical ones. "I didn't want to fight, Dad," I tell him. "We were outnumbered… and I was outmatched. Why would I _want_ to get involved in a fight with those circumstances?"

"I don't know," he responds, shrugging. "Why did you engage them?"

"I didn't have a choice."

"You always have a choice, Bumi."

"Do I, Dad?" I challenge. "Do I really?"

"Yes."

"Oh, really?" I retort, my voice rising. "What was I supposed to do to, as you always say, remove myself from the situation after Tairu had trapped me in an earth shelter and Hiroto was holding fire daggers an inch from my face? I couldn't _earthbend_ myself out of that situation, Dad, so what else could I have done? I'm serious: tell me. I'd love to hear how to escape that sort of situation because I'm sure I'll be trapped in one of those stupid things again soon enough." I raise an eyebrow at him and shoot him a harsh look, daring him to say something. "I'm well aware that neither of you believe me, but I'm not exactly having the time of my life getting beat up every week by a bunch of aggressive benders."

As my parents glance unsurely at each other, I run a hand through my dark, untamed hair and redirect my gaze towards the floor. I blink a couple of times to keep the tears welling in my eyes from falling.

"Oh, Bumi…" My mom says softly.

I clench my jaw and turn my back towards both of them.

"Don't turn your back to us, Bumi," she says, her voice slightly firmer.

I turn around so that I'm facing them again, but I keep my head bowed. I will not let them see me cry.

"If some kids at school are picking on you, all you have to do is tell us their names and we'll go speak to the headmaster about it," Dad tells me.

"I'm not a snitch," I growl. "And besides, the _last_ thing I need is two _benders_ coming to my defense because I can't handle or protect myself."

My parents stare at me, a hurt expression in their eyes.

"What?" I snarl.

"We're your parents first and benders second, Bumi," Mom states.

"Of course, Master Katara," I say, my voice dripping with animosity.

"Okay, Bumi, that's enough," Dad warns.

I press my right fist against my left palm and bow to my father. "I apologize, _Avatar_ ," I say, saying 'Avatar' the same way Haiyang did right before Hiroto, Tairu, and Kesuk attacked us. "I did not mean any disrespect."

Dad rubs his temples while Mom just sighs and shoots me an exhausted look. "What is this really about, Bumi?" she asks.

"I don't know," I answer, shrugging. "I don't _start_ these fights; I just defend myself. When I win, I get into trouble. When I lose, I get sent to the infirmary. It's as simple as that."

"I don't care _who_ starts the fights, Bumi," Mom replies. "You're fourteen now. You have to start acting more mature."

"Well, I'm sorry that I'm not out saving the world like you were when you were my age, Mom," I retort.

"We don't expect you to save the world, Bumi," Dad interjects. "We just expect you to be able to conduct yourself in a reasonable manner while you're at school. You shouldn't be getting into fights all the time."

"Well, with all due respect, Dad, I'm still waiting to be told how to escape from an earth shelter without turning it all to pebbles." I glare pointedly at him. "Can you tell me how to do that?"

He sighs.

"I didn't think so," I glower. "Can I go now?"

"No."

I roll my eyes. "What do you want from me?" I ask.

"We want you to stay out of trouble for the next two weeks, until school ends," Dad starts.

"Once summer begins," Mom continues, "your father will escort you to the Fire Nation. Zuko, Mai, and Izumi are going to be vacationing for a while at their summer home on Ember Island, and they've agreed to let you stay with them for a couple of weeks."

"You're… sending me away?" I say, incredulous.

"We think the change of scenery will be good for you," she replies.

"You're lying!" I scream. "You think that me not being here to _embarrass_ you will make this family look better!"

"You're being ridiculous, Bumi," Dad declares.

I snort. "Am I, Dad?" I challenge. "Come on, I'm not stupid. You two have _always_ been ashamed of me. Why do you think you waited six _years_ after I was born to have another child? It was because when I turned six, you finally accepted that there was no hope that I was going to be a bender — and the son of a master waterbender and the all-mighty Avatar couldn't have _just_ a _nonbending_ child." I turn around so that my back is to them. "It's fine, though. I'll go live with Uncle Zuko for a while — at least _he_ isn't ashamed of nonbenders. He married one, after all."

"We are not ashamed of you, Bumi!" My mom cries. "How could you even think such a thing?"

"Yeah, whatever lets you sleep at night, Mom," I growl, waving my hand dismissively at her. "It's fine. I'll even get out of your hair early! I'll see you again if we cross paths in the sky."

"What are you—?"

I don't wait for them to finish their question before I run, laughing like the madman that was my namesake used to, out towards the bison, where the gliders are stored. We have a couple of traditional airbending staffs for Dad and, for when he gets a little older, Tenzin, as well as some special gliders that allow non-airbenders to fly. I grab one of the special gliders, then sprint towards the edge of the cliff on the far side of the island and jump off.

I speed towards the rocks on the shore below for a couple of seconds before the wind starts coursing underneath the glider's wings and lifts me up into the air, over the crashing waves of Yue Bay. It's dark outside, but the moon is out, and by its light I can see a boat patrolling the water around Aang Memorial Island, as well as the silhouettes of my parents and siblings as they sprint towards the edge of the island. Dad jumps off the cliff without any hesitation, his airbender staff above him, and gives chase.

 _Come on, wind_ , I think, _pick up… I can't let Dad catch me!_

I glance over my shoulder, back towards the island. Dad's catching up to me, thanks to his being able to manipulate the air and wind around him.

"Come on, Bumi!" he shouts. "Come back! Turn around!"

I squeeze my eyes shut, but the tears welling behind my lids still slip down my cheeks. I wipe my cheeks and then, since the air is chilly, tug the edges of my collar closer together to prevent more wind from blowing down my shirt.

 _Oh, spirits…_ I curse as, because of my stupid decision to close my collar, I lose control of the glider and start losing altitude. I let go of my collar and return that hand to the glider, but it doesn't make a difference; the wind has picked up just as I'd asked, and a powerful gust sends me soaring through the sky as fast as I would if I were on a bison. I can't control the air around me, though, and so instead of going forward, I spiral downwards, towards the water.

"No! Bumi!"

 _Spirits, what I'd give to be a waterbender right now_ , I think as I take one last look at Dad. I can see the fear in his eyes thanks to the light of the moon.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I murmur as I let go of the glider completely, allowing the wind to quickly carry it somewhere behind me. I take a deep breath before I close my eyes and attempt to turn my plummet into the water into a somewhat graceful dive.

The last thing I hear before the tides pull me under is the sound of my dad screaming my name.


	3. An Early Rescue

CHAPTER THREE

"Wha—?" I start to ask what's going on — even though there's no one around me — as soon as I resurface, but as soon as I open my mouth I start to cough up water. I blink a couple of times in an attempt to get the salt water out of my eyes and then take a look around. I see a large wave in the distance, but it's quickly approaching, so I inhale a breath, close my eyes, and allow it to wash over me. When I resurface again, I brush my hair out of my eyes and look towards the sky in an effort to locate my father.

I see him soaring above me. He calls my name again, but I don't answer. I allow myself to sink a bit so that everything but my head is submerged in water and then turn my gaze back towards the silhouette visible in the sky. "Bumi!" he screams again, his tone one of desperation.

I shift a bit so that I'm facing the golden dome of Republic City's pro-bending arena. It doesn't look too far out. _I could probably swim there… but will Dad see me if I move? I'm not..._

"Agh!"

When the giant wave that came up from behind me and pulled me back underwater dissipates into the remainder of the bay and I resurface, I feel oddly warm. "Wha—?" I start.

"Shh, Bumi. I've got you."

"Da—?" I start to ask, but I'm interrupted by another coughing fit in which I cough up more water than I thought it was physically possible to swallow.

"Open your mouth, Bumi."

I do as commanded, simply because I'm too weak to argue; and with a quick movement of Dad's wrist, a stream of water shoots out of my mouth and flows gracefully back into the bay. "How's that feel?" Dad asks me, holding me closer to him as another strong gust of wind blows past us.

"Mmnn…" I murmur, using what little strength I have left to lift my head up and meet Dad's gaze. I allow him to brush my hair out of my face and don't break his gaze as he stares down at me, hugging me closer to him. "What were you _thinking_ , Bumi?" he asks me as the waves lap around us softly.

I stare at him until I start to get my bearings and register his presence. When I do, I scramble out of his arms — only to be immediately smothered by another passing wave. This one doesn't get the better of me, though, and I'm back above the water in a couple of seconds.

"Okay, come on now, Bumi," Dad demands. "We have to go home. We shouldn't be out in this weather."

I start swimming towards the arena, ignoring him completely.

"Crying hog-monkeys!" Dad cries. "Stop!"

I don't have time to even turn my head to look at him before I'm surrounded by a bubble, which he then walks into. He grabs me by the collar and, maintaining the spherical shape of the bubble surrounding us with one hand, forces me to cross Yue Bay with him.

"Stop it, Dad!" I scream, struggling to break free from his grasp. "I don't want to go home! Let me go!"

"No."

"Why not?" I demand.

"You're grounded for the next two weeks, thanks to this stupid stunt you've just pulled," he answers, tightening his grip on my collar. "You are not to leave Air Temple Island except to go to school. Do you understand?"

"No."

"What don't you understand?"

I grind my black, knee-high boots into the sand beneath us and glare at my father. "Well, first you're shipping me off to the Fire Nation because you don't want to deal with me, and now you're grounding me and _forcing_ me to stay within a small island of you. It's a little confusing."

"We're not sending you to the Fire Nation to get rid of you, Bumi," Dad sighs. "It's just that when your mother and I were talking earlier, we decided that getting away from the city for a while would be good for you — and Zuko is the only one of us who doesn't live in the United Republic."

I soften my gaze but still refuse to move.

"Okay, son, look," Dad continues, releasing his grip on my collar so that he can lay a hand on my shoulder. "I get it. I do. You're angry about the cards you've been dealt — so was I, when I was about your age. I didn't want to be the Avatar, and I did the same thing you did just now: run away. I climbed onto Appa and we left the Southern Air Temple, and we got caught in a storm that dragged us into the ocean kicking and screaming — except I was trapped in a sphere of ice for a hundred years before someone rescued me."

"Well… thanks for coming to my rescue before I was trapped underwater for an entire century," I say softly. "I don't think I could have survived for that long," I add as I stick an arm out of the bubble and let the water caress and tickle me for a minute.

"I'll always come to your rescue, Bumi," Dad swears. "I love you, son."

"I love you, too, Dad."

When we reach the dock at Air Temple Island a few minutes later, Dad creates a water spout that lifts us up and then sets us down gently on the wooden planks. I immediately fall to my knees, exhausted and still a little bit sick from all of the sea water I've swallowed.

"You're back! You're back!" Kya exclaims, running towards me and engulfing me in a bear hug as soon as she reaches me. "Why did you fly off, Bumi?" she asks me, refusing to let me go even though I'm soaking wet.

I watch as Dad walks over to Mom and whispers something in her ear, then turn back towards my little sister. "I was angry," I tell her.

"At me?" she asks.

"No, no, of course not, Kya," I tell her, drawing her into a hug again and kissing the top of her head softly. "I was angry at… at myself, I guess."

"Why?"

 _Why? I can't bend and I'm weak and useless because of it_ , I think.

"You wouldn't understand, baby girl," I say, shaking my head.

She stomps her foot on the dock. "I'm _not_ a baby!" she cries, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm _eight_!"

"You're right," I confess. "I'm sorry."

"Come on, Kya, let's go inside. It's time for bed," Dad says, scooping Tenzin up into his arms and then grabbing Kya's hand before she can respond to me. Tenzin waves at me and then, yawning tiredly, buries his head in Dad's chest as Dad leads the two of them back to the center of the island, where the dormitories are.

I scramble into a standing position and then shoot a dejected look at my mother. "You don't need to say it," I sigh. "Dad already said I'm grounded for the next two weeks."

"Well, I'm glad to hear you've accepted your punishment," Mom says, "but for now, let's just get you into your pajamas and then into bed." She walks over to me and waterbends all of the water out of my clothes and hair, then wraps her arm around me, steadying me. "I love you, Bumi," she adds as she starts guiding me towards the boys' dormitory. "You had me worried sick. If you ever run off like that again…"

"I won't," I swear, a small sigh escaping my lips as we step off the dock and back onto actual ground. "I think I learned what happens to a nonbender who tries to fly over the ocean…"


	4. The Arrival

CHAPTER FOUR

"We're here!" Dad announces, his voice so loud it causes me to wake up. "We've arrived at Ember Island, Bumi! Wake up!"

"I'm awake," I inform him. I sit upright and watch as he flicks the reins attached to Appa's horns, steering the bison downwards. We land smoothly in a courtyard, and as I scan the area I observe Uncle Zuko, Aunt Mai, and their daughter, Izumi, all waiting at the courtyard's edge. A smile tugs at the corners of my lips as I glance at the girl one year my elder.

While Dad airbends himself off Appa's saddle, I collect the suitcases I brought and then, the bags in hand, jump. I land gracefully on my feet.

"Hello, Zuko," Dad smiles, approaching his longtime friend and giving him a hug.

"It's nice to see you again, Aang," Uncle Zuko says, smiling at my father as he steps back and breaks their embrace to appraise the Avatar for the first time in several months.

"It's a pleasure to see you, Fire Lady Mai," Dad continues, bowing before Aunt Mai, who smiles politely in return.

He turns his attention towards Izumi and raises her hand to his mouth. He gives it a soft, brief kiss before letting it return to her side. "You too, Princess Izumi," he smiles. "You've grown so much since the last time I saw you!"

She bows politely. "It's great to see you again, Uncle Aang," she declares, a small smile on her face.

As I watch the interaction between Dad and the princess, Uncle Zuko walks over to me. When he lays a hand on my shoulder and stares down at me, I can't help but be a bit intimidated. I square my shoulders and meet his gaze, but truth be told, all I want to do is huddle into a ball. While I know and love him, there's something about him that's just… _threatening_. It could be the scar that mars almost the entire left side of his face, or the flame-shaped headpiece and dark robes that distinguish him as the Fire Lord, or the fact that he's a master firebender… or it could be the combination of all those things that make him so… so… _formidable_.

"Welcome to the top vacation destination in the Fire Nation, Bumi," he greets me, a smile on his scarred but somehow still handsome face. "We're so glad you could join us. How've you been?"

"I've been alright," I lie. "It's great to be here with all of you; thank you for having me. I'm excited to see what Ember Island has to offer."

"Well, I don't think you'll be disappointed," Uncle Zuko responds as he guides me over to his wife and daughter, oblivious — or seemingly oblivious — to the lie I told.

I do the traditional Fire Nation-style bow before Aunt Mai and the princess, the one in which the bottom of my left palm sits atop my right fist, rather than beside it. "You remember my daughter, Izumi, right?" Uncle Zuko asks before either of the ladies can bow to me.

"Yes, of course," I answer. I take a step to the side so that I'm standing directly in front of Izumi. "It's an honor and a pleasure to see you again, Princess," I say, offering her a charming smile — or what I _hope_ is a charming smile. "We don't get together enough."

"Well, you _do_ live far away," she responds, giggling a bit.

I watch, out of the corner of my eye, as Uncle Zuko and Aunt Mai smirk at each other, then step to the side to talk to Dad about something, leaving Izumi and me semi-alone.

"I hope all's been well here, Princess," I start.

"Well, considering the only time the ennui abates is when someone attempts to assassinate my father, it's been… meh." She shrugs. "What about you, though, Bumi? What's it like in Republic City?"

"It's… well, it's not boring," I tell her. "The nations all come together in the United Republic, and the cultural centers are always hosting some sort of party, so it's hard to be bored." I smirk at her. "I haven't seen this much red since I visited the Fire Nation Cultural Center a few weeks ago."

"Well, that's a shame — red is the nicest color!" She giggles again, then draws me into a hug. "I'm so happy you're here, Bumi," she tells me, burrowing her head into my shoulder. "It's been so long since we've seen each other, and I have to admit…" she steps backwards and raises an eyebrow at me, a mischievous glint in her amber eyes, "that pranking the Kyoshi Warriors isn't much fun without you."

"Well, it's good to know I'm good for something — even if that something _is_ just a prank," I reply. I grin at her and gently nudge her cheek with my fist, but a part of me wishes that there was no reason for her missing me other than that she missed _me_.

"Oh, shush." She embraces me again and gives me a peck on the cheek before retreating, causing a smile to appear on my flushed face. "You're good for so much more than a quick laugh, Bumi. You ought to come visit more often." She gestures towards her parents, who are still engaged in conversation with my father, and grimaces. "I'd come visit Air Temple Island, but Daddy rarely lets me out of his sight — and when he does, it's on the condition that a Kyoshi Warrior or one of the Imperial Firebenders accompany me."

"You're lucky… to an extent," I sigh. "I _wish_ Dad would give me that kind of attention… but instead, he and Mom sent me here… just so they wouldn't have to deal with me." I glance at the adults for a second before returning my gaze to Izumi. "I'm glad to be here, though," I add, seeing the hurt look on her face. "It's been too long since I've seen you — _years_ , I think."

I draw her hand up to my lips and lay a soft kiss on its back, just as Dad did earlier, then let it go. "You look even more lovely now," I assert, giving her a quick onceover. She's tall for a fifteen-year-old girl, but she's still a good four or so inches shorter than me… and she's far, _far_ more attractive than me — which says a lot, if the dozens of girls that gawk at me every day are any indication of my own attractiveness.

 _She really is beautiful_ , I think as I stare at her and, ever-so-softly, caress her cheek with a finger. She's got fair skin that contrasts with her smoke-colored eyeshadow and dark red lipstick, as well as with the crimson and ruby hues of her clothes, the edges of which are ornamented with a gold thread whose color is almost identical to the color of her eyes and _is_ identical to the Fire Nation emblem emblazoned on her breastplate.

She's stunning, and everything about her damn near takes my breath away — but the feature I love the most is her hair. While the majority of her straight black hair hangs down her back, there are two loose locks that frame either side of her face in a manner that makes her slightly resemble her aunt, Azula, as well as some additional hair styled into a topknot that's adorned by the golden headpiece reserved for the heir to the throne.

"Why are you staring at me, Bumi?"

"Well, I… I…" I stammer, shifting my gaze towards the ground for a second before returning my attention to her. "I like to look at pretty things."

"Oh, so I'm a _thing_ now?"

"What? No, no, I—."

"I'm just kidding, Bumi," Izumi laughs. She brushes some hair out of my face, then steps back and appraises me. "You don't look so bad yourself — although your hair is still as wild as ever!" She crosses her arms over her chest and smirks at me.

"Well, I've got to maintain my image as a wild child, don't I?" I respond, grinning.

She starts to answer, but Dad interrupts her. "Bumi!" he calls. "I'm going to go — there's a council meeting tonight that I ought to attend. Are you all set here?"

"Yes, sir."

Dad motions for me to approach him, so I do. He lays a hand on my shoulder and guides me back towards Appa, his expression more serious now than it was when he was talking to Uncle Zuko and Aunt Mai. "You know we're not making you stay with Zuko just so we can be rid of you, right?" he asks.

"Yes, Dad, I know."

"Okay." He breathes a sigh of relief, and a twinge of guilt surges through me because I'm still not convinced that my parents sent me here for my own good.

"I'm sure some time away from everyone and everything will be good for you," he adds. "And… and perhaps Sifu Hotman over there can help you through this… whatever it is you're going through." He runs a hand over his bald head, his fingers grazing his light blue arrow. "You have Air Nomad blood, Bumi, and we Air Nomads are just that at heart: nomads. I truly believe that a change of scenery will do wonders for your spirit."

"Yes, Dad," I reply, unsure of what else to say.

"Oh, don't 'yes' me to death!" Dad exclaims. "Where's my wild child?"

I glance over my shoulder at Izumi, then turn back around to face my dad as soon as I sense the reddening of my cheeks. "He's behaving for the princess," I answer.

Dad laughs and tousles my hair. "Well, have fun with her — but don't spend _all_ your time with Izumi, son. I think spending some time with Zuko would benefit you, too." He glances at his enemy-turned-friend and then smiles down at me. "I'm sure you'll have fun here. If I could have fun here with a war going on and Sifu Hotman forcing me to spend seventy-five percent of my time training with him, _anyone_ can have fun here." He chuckles. "Okay, I've said my piece. I expect you to be on your best behavior while you're here, alright?"

"Okay, Dad."

"I'll come back for you at the end of the month, alright?"

"Alright."

"I love you, Bumi."

"I love you, too, Dad."

He draws me into his arms for a hug, but I scramble out of it quickly, afraid of appearing childish in front of Izumi — which Dad seems to understand. He grins at me, then airlifts himself onto Appa's head and grabs the reins fastened to the bison's horns. He gives us all a wave, and as soon as "yip-yip" escapes his lips, he's in the sky, soaring in the direction of Republic City.

As I watch Dad leave, a pit forms in my stomach, even though I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders. When the Avatar is nothing but a small, autumn-colored fleck on the horizon, I turn back towards the second-most powerful family in the world.

"Come on, Bumi, I'll take you to your room," Uncle Zuko says, disrupting what was beginning to seem like an awkward silence and gesturing for me to follow him.

I don't react for a second, hesitant to leave Izumi behind, but then I grab my bags and, carrying one in each hand, start towards the mansion-like house in the distance, where Uncle Zuko is waiting for me.


	5. Strengths and Weaknesses

CHAPTER FIVE

"Hi."

I turn in the direction of the voice and see Izumi standing at the edge of my room. "Oh… hello, Princess."

"What are you reading?" she asks, pointing towards the piece of paper I'm holding.

I glance down at the newspaper clipping in my hand and stifle a sigh as I silently read the first couple of paragraphs again.

 _Avatar Aang and Master Katara's second child, eight-year-old Kya, demonstrated today just how similar to her legendary parents she is when she used her waterbending skills to heal a classmate who had fallen in the school courtyard and sustained a fairly serious injury._

 _According to the girl's teacher, the young prodigy didn't even hesitate to come to her classmate's aid. When interviewed later on, Avatar Aang and Master Katara said that Kya's ability and eagerness to help were not surprising. "We have encouraged and helped Kya to hone her innate talent, and just like her younger brother, she desires to use her bending ability to help the world," Master Katara said._

 _Kya's younger brother, to whom Master Katara referred in her comment, is the youngest child of Republic City's favorite couple: four-year-old Tenzin, the first airbender to be born in almost two hundred years. When asked about his son, the cheerful Avatar had the following to say: "I have no doubt that Tenzin will become a master sooner rather than later. He's talented, and I have high hopes for him. While I don't want him to feel burdened by his identity as one of the last remaining airbenders, he is a solemn child who takes his destiny very seriously."_

I set the clipping down on the bed, disregarding the remainder of the article. I've read the entire article several times in the half hour that's passed since I first saw it — and I _know_ that I'm not mentioned at all in it. "An article… about Kya," I answer finally.

"Oh, that's cool, I guess," the princess shrugs. "Well, do you want to come down to the beach with me? I was thinking we could watch one of the kuai ball games going on — maybe even play in one?" She crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the doorframe, and I can't help but ignore the smile on her face in favor for the rest of her body. She's wearing nothing but a soft pink tube top and a ruby-colored knee-length skirt, and she looks stunning.

While I would normally jump at the chance to spend time with Izumi, I have no desire to even get out of bed, much less walk down to the beach and enter a kuai ball game. "No, thanks, Princess," I answer, shaking my head but offering her a small smile. "I'd rather just stay here for the day."

"Are you sure?" she asks, her expression noticeably less cheerful than it was a couple of seconds ago.

"Yes, I'm sure." She pouts, and I shoot her a look. "Come on, Princess," I start. "I don't think I'd be a lot of help, anyway. I've never played kuai ball before — and besides, don't firebenders have an advantage in it?" I hold out a hand, the palm facing the ceiling, and attempt to summon a flame — an effort that yields nothing. "You know I can't firebend."

"You don't need to, Bumi," Izumi responds. She walks over to the bed and lays a hand on my cheek, then smiles down at me sadly. "You're more athletic than most of the idiots playing the stupid game."

"It's not a stupid game, Princess," I argue as I wrap my own hands around hers. "I'm just not in the mood to play a game right now — but you shouldn't stay here just because I want to. Go, go have fun."

"I'd have more fun if you came with me," she retorts.

I offer her a small, apologetic smile and stand up, throwing an arm around her shoulders as I turn her slim body around and guide her towards the door. "We'll play another time," I promise.

"Well… alright," she sighs. "I'll see you later, Bumi."

I watch as she walks down the long corridor; then, after she disappears behind a corner, I retreat back into my room. I glare at the newspaper clipping still on the bed.

I'm well aware that there was a lot of pressure on Mom to give my father airbenders, and that the world viewed Kya and me as disappointments because we weren't airbenders. When we learned that Tenzin was an airbender — I still curse the morning that he, just barely two years old, sneezed and flew nearly ten feet into the air — it was the happiest day of Dad's life, as well as of all the White Lotus sentries who believed that it was their job to help my dad restore balance to the world.

 _"It… it finally happened. You had an airbender!" the leader of the Order of the White Lotus exclaimed, turning his back to Tenzin to grab and shake Dad's shoulders excitedly. "Do you know what this means, Aang?" he asked. "You're not the last airbender anymore! After all these years, there is finally_ hope _for the continuation of the Air Nomads, of the airbenders, of your people!"_

I squeeze my eyes shut in an attempt to dry the tears forming there. I still can't get that statement out of my head, even after four years. The thought that even though Kya and I are Dad's children, we are not — and never will be — his _people_ hurts just as much now as it did then.

We are the children of the Avatar, but as far as the world is concerned, Kya and I are failures — but her saving grace is that she's a waterbender, like Mom. While waterbenders aren't an endangered race like airbenders, she's still special because she's a gifted bender who is lucky enough to be trained by the greatest waterbending master in the world: our mother. I, on the other hand… I don't have a saving grace.

I am not mentioned in the article at all — not as the Avatar's wild child, not even as the Avatar's nonbending son. I don't exist, as far as the world is concerned. I'm so… so _worthless_ … that there's no use in wasting words to even mention my shortcomings.

I don't mind not being an airbender — honestly, I don't. Yes, I sometimes get jealous of Tenzin because, whenever we go out as a family, there are always dozens of people staring at us, eager to get a glimpse of the first airbender to be born in almost two centuries, and because the Air Acolytes at Air Temple Island always hesitate before carrying out a request of mine or Kya's because we're not airbenders, but I truly don't mind not being an airbender. It would be cool, and I would jump at the chance to _become_ an airbender should it ever be presented to me, but the same goes for being _any_ type of bender. It's… _embarrassing_ … to be a nonbender when _everyone_ in your family is world-famous for their bending expertise.

 _I wish I could send this damn piece of paper up in flames_ , I think as I glower at the article.

"What does it say, kid?"

I glance up and see Uncle Zuko standing where his daughter was just a few minutes ago, arms crossed over his chest and an indecipherable expression on his face. He's abandoned his regular Fire Lord robes in favor of lighter, more casual Fire Nation garb.

" _Hmph_ … nothing about me," I grumble.

Uncle Zuko walks over and picks the article up. He scans the words on it, then promptly sets the paper aflame. It disintegrates in his palm.

I stare up at him curiously. "How'd you know I wanted to do that?" I inquire.

"I never liked seeing things written about my prodigy of a sister, either," he answers, smirking.

"You're a master firebender, too, though," I respond, shooting him a confused look.

"Yes, I am — _now_." He sits down on the edge of the bed and turns his head a bit to look at me, since he can't see as much or as well out of his scarred left eye. "I wasn't always." He drags his fingers through his hair, which, for once, is out of the usual topknot. "I wasn't good at all, and was, in fact, still working on mastering some basic forms when I was banished — but Azula was a natural, a prodigy… a master in her own right by the time she was fourteen," he starts. "She outshined me in virtually everything — firebending, history, strategy… and anything else you could name, except, maybe, for sword fighting."

"Are you for real?"

"Yes." He stares at me for a second, then gazes straight ahead, at the nondescript wall in front of us. "As a matter of fact, Bumi, I was initially believed to be a nonbender. My father…" Uncle Zuko shudders slightly as he remembers his awful father, Ozai, the dictator that scarred and banished him when he was just thirteen. "He wanted to… get rid of me. He was embarrassed of and disappointed in me. I, his firstborn son, the Crown Prince, the heir to the throne and the would-be ruler of what was then the most powerful nation in the world… was a nonbender. It was unthinkable! How could the son of the Fire Lord and the great-grandson of Avatar Roku be a nonbender?"

"You're not a nonbender, though. You're a firebender."

"Yes. I eventually got it."

"Well, if you're trying to give me hope that I'll eventually be able to bend, you can forget it. I'm fourteen, Uncle Zuko; there's no hope. If I haven't bent by now, I never will."

"You're right, Bumi. You're never going to be a bender."

I glare at him. "How is that supposed to make me feel better?" I demand.

"It wasn't meant to make you feel better." He shoots me a curious look. "Why are you so upset about not being able to bend?" he asks.

"Oh, it's just that I'm a disappointment to my parents and the entire world," I answer with faux nonchalance. "When Dad revealed that Mom was pregnant, no one even thought that it was _possible_ for the child — for _me_ — to be a nonbender… but then I was born. I wasn't an airbender like everyone had hoped for, but there was still a chance that I would be a waterbender, and Mom and Dad held onto that hope until I was so old that they couldn't do that anymore — so they had a second kid, and then another when it was discovered that Kya wasn't an airbender, either." I lean back against the bed and, crossing my arms behind my head, shift my gaze to the ceiling. "It's bad enough that I have to live up to the legacy of people who saved the world when they were barely teenagers, but…" I bite my lip and contemplate how to word my thoughts. "It's even worse being the nonbending son of the Avatar and the greatest waterbender in the world. I'm the black koala sheep of the family." I look sadly at Uncle Zuko. "I mean, everyone can do all sorts of amazing, _incredible_ things and I just… can't." I sigh. "Whenever I go against a bender, I'm always overpowered, outmatched. I can never win."

"Well, that's probably because you're not exploiting their weakness."

"What is their weakness, Uncle?" I ask, my tone derisive. "You benders are unstoppable! You can control an element at will, have a weapon at your fingertips, and can learn anything I do… but _I_ can never learn how to bend, so I'll always, _always_ be that much behind."

"Okay…" Uncle Zuko turns his head to look at me again, and as he does so I spot a strange glimmer in his amber eyes. "Hey, Bumi, how does your father get on top of Appa?"

I shoot him a look that makes it obvious I think he's lost his mind.

"I'm serious," he continues. "How does Aang get onto Appa?"

"He airbends himself up," I answer, still clueless as to where he's going with this.

"Okay, and if one of you kids spilled your drink, how would Katara clean it up?"

"She'd waterbend it into the nearest sink, probably."

"When we were sleeping outside during the war, how did Toph set up her tent?"

"She didn't have one, Uncle. She'd earthbend herself a tent to sleep in every night."

"Yes, that's right," he murmurs, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "How do I heat up my tea?"

"You use your firebending?" I guess, unable to recall actually ever seeing him heat up his tea.

"Yes, I do. Do you see where I'm going with this, Bumi?"

"No, not at all."

Uncle Zuko lets out a rare laugh. "Okay, then I'll spell it out for you: benders are lazy."

"What? No, they're not. It's just that… well, that there's no use in expending the energy or the time it would take to do something without bending when _using_ bending could accomplish the task quicker."

"You're wrong, Bumi," Uncle Zuko argues. "It's laziness — pure, simple laziness. It takes almost no effort to heat up tea with spark rocks, but I still firebend the water instead. Why? Well, I'm lazy, and I don't want to expend that _tiny_ bit of energy — even though, technically, bending probably uses _more_ of my energy, since I have to concentrate on making my chi come out of here…" he holds out his hand so that his palm is facing the ceiling, and a small flame springs forth from it, "instead of here." He extinguishes the flame by making a fist, then reaches into his robe and retrieves two spark rocks. He quickly makes a spark with them, then returns them to a pocket inside his robe.

"Sometimes — actually, _usually_ — when someone's a bender, they become very, very lazy," he continues. "I've met a lot of benders over the years who think that because they have, as you phrased it before, 'a weapon at their fingertips', they don't need to learn how to wield any type of _real_ weapon. While nonbenders have to master hand-to-hand combat as well as learn how to strategize and wield weapons if they want to be a force to be reckoned with, benders tend to ignore these things. After all, we can always save ourselves by shooting fire out of our fists, blowing wind in someone's face, freezing someone in a block of ice, or shaking the ground, right?" He shakes his head, as if to tell me that he doesn't believe a word of his last sentence, and then continues. "When going against a bender, Bumi," he starts, "just remember that, more likely than not, they are, due to their inherent laziness, ignorant when it comes to any aspect of combat that does not involve their particular bending style. If you learn how to dodge attacks, you'll be able to close the distance between you and your opponent — and once you do that, you can defeat them if you employ your greatest tool: your knowledge of the non-bending arts. While nonbenders often specialize in hand-to-hand combat, there is no bender in the world that thrives in close-range combat situations because _all_ of the bending disciplines — air, water, earth, and fire — need _space_ to be effective.

"You can't make an element fight for you… but you _can_ make everything _else_ fight for you," Uncle Zuko continues, staring at me with a steadfast gaze. "It's rare that a bender can skillfully utilize something other than their own element, so if their connection to their element is somehow rendered ineffective, they will be powerless. When your parents, Sokka, and Toph were all stuck in the Si Wong Desert after the sandbenders stole Appa, Katara was out of water, and couldn't do anything to improve their situation except remain optimistic that they would find a way to escape. When your mother and Toph pulled that scam that got them both arrested and thrown into a wooden jail cell, Toph, who was supposed to metalbend herself out after Katara collected the reward money, was powerless, and sat there, defeated, until Katara figured out that she could use her own sweat to cut through the wooden bars. When Ty Lee chi-blocked Azula at the Boiling Rock, Azula couldn't fight and had to order the guards to escort Mai and Ty Lee out of her sight. When the eclipse happened, the firebenders in the capital were rendered powerless; and after realizing that they couldn't fight without their firebending, they surrendered to the invasion force, which, as you know, was composed mostly of _nonbending_ Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom soldiers." He smirks at me. "When a bender is forced to fight without their bending, they are significantly weakened — but you, Bumi… you've never been able to bend, so you'll have the advantage. You see, a bender's ability to bend is both their greatest asset _and_ their greatest weakness." He turns to face me again, his one eyebrow raised, his amber eyes alight with an emotion I can't quite discern. "You said a bender can learn to do everything you do, which is true — but almost none of them, if any of them at all, _will_. As I said before, benders are lazy, and few of them ever bother to learn how to fight without their bending. This means that although they can do one thing you can't do, _you_ can do _everything_ they _can't_ do — and would you rather have one skill at your disposal, or a dozen?"

I stare at Uncle Zuko, amazed, impressed, and inspired by his words. _I've never thought about any of it like… like that_ , I think.

"You also said that benders are unstoppable, but that's not true," Uncle Zuko continues, before I have the chance to answer his question. "There are times when, eventually, strength will have to yield to strategy." He adjusts his position on the bed until he's sitting cross-legged in the middle of it, with his hands folded neatly in his lap. "My great-grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin, was able to eradicate all of the Air Nomads — save for your father, of course — using comet-enhanced firebending, but despite the brute strength his military had, he could not conquer the larger nations, like the Earth Kingdom. _My_ uncle, one of the most powerful firebenders to ever live, led a siege against Ba Sing Se, and although he succeeded in breaking through the Outer Wall, he couldn't breach the Inner Wall. Uncle Iroh was the strongest man I've ever known, but neither the strength he possessed nor the massive amounts of fire he could call upon at will was enough. Azula, however, conquered Ba Sing Se within a week, and she never even needed to use her firebending; she was just _that_ cunning, _that_ strategic.

"The same can be said for many, _many_ other people," Uncle Zuko adds. "We didn't win the war because some of us could make the elements fight for us; we won it because our plan to split off from one another and destroy different parts of my father's forces simultaneously was brilliant." He smiles at me. "Do you know who is amongst those who devised the plan?" he asks.

"Who?" I respond.

"Sokka," he replies simply. "While his invasion plan for the Day of Black Sun failed because Azula had warned our father about it, he had come closer to victory than anyone else ever had — and, inspired by the taste of success, he almost single-handedly created the plan that we used on the actual day that Sozin's Comet returned." Uncle Zuko offers me a small smile. "Sokka's not a bender, yet he was able to take down an entire fleet of airships that almost no one outside of the Fire Nation had ever even encountered before with the help of Toph and Suki. If he hadn't been able to devise a plan that would allow them to destroy that fleet, who knows where the world would be right now?"

I glare down at the comforter and cross my arms over my chest. "I don't care what Uncle Sokka did," I declare angrily. "He's the reason I can't bend! I had to have inherited the nonbending gene from him!"

"You can't blame Sokka for your not being a bender, Bumi," Uncle Zuko states, shooting me a condemning look. "You should talk to him about it, actually. While I can relate to you on some level, and give you advice, _he's_ the one who can _really_ relate to you. Sokka isn't a bender, but he's still a great warrior. He's an incredible strategist, accurate with a boomerang, a capable pilot, an excellent sailor, and a master swordsman. While he wasn't always so good, nowadays he can give any bender a run for his money. He's learned how to gain the upper hand in a fight and how to exploit benders' weaknesses, and I'm sure he'd be more than willing to teach you everything he knows."

I don't answer.

 _"Aw, Uncle Sokka, Boomerang didn't come back!"_

 _"It's alright, Bumi," he laughed, walking over to me after he fetched the boomerang he had been teaching me to use for the past couple of days. "When you're ready to throw it, your arms should be like this…" He repositioned my arms, then stepped back to give me some space while still maintaining his grip on my arms. "And then… release it, like…" He guided me through the motion, then gestured for me to try it myself. I did, and Boomerang returned to me, flying into my hand harshly and scraping my palm as I caught it. When I grimaced, Uncle Sokka took the boomerang out of my hand and wiped the blood from my palm onto a tissue he had in his pocket. "You should be proud of this, Bumi," he told me, gesturing towards my cut. "Any warrior who has smooth hands is hardly a warrior at all."_

 _He stuck the bloodied tissue back into his pocket, then tousled my hair and smiled down at me. "Again?" he asked, one eyebrow raised as if in a dare as he held the weapon out to me._

 _I grabbed the weapon out of his hand quickly, a grin on my face as I rose to the challenge. "Did you think I'd quit because of a little blood?" I asked._

"How long has it been since you've spent time with Sokka, Bumi?"

I snap out of the reverie and turn towards Uncle Zuko. "Uh…" I mutter, a little taken aback by the question. "It's been about two years, I think."

I watch Uncle Zuko's eyebrow shoot up in surprise. "Really? It's been that long?"

I shift my gaze towards the floor and nod sadly.

"What happened between you two, Bumi? You were so close to him when you were a kid."

"When I was a kid?" I repeat, ignoring the first half of his response.

"You're almost fifteen, Bumi," he reminds me, a small smile on his face. "You're not a child anymore. You're a teenager on the verge of manhood."

I start to smile, but stop when I see that Uncle Zuko is staring at me, waiting for an answer to the question I want so desperately to ignore.

"Well, a little less than two years ago, Mom, Kya, and I went to the Southern Water Tribe to visit Grandpa and celebrate the Glacier Spirits Festival and the Winter Solstice. We go every year because the holidays coincide with winter break, but usually we only stay for the week. We were staying there longer this time, though, because Dad had decided to go to the Southern Air Temple to show Tenzin off to the Air Acolytes there and Mom wanted to go somewhere for just as long with Kya and me," I start. "We all had a lot of fun that first week. The carnival is always a lot of fun, and we got to spend a lot of time with Grandpa."

I glance downwards and sigh, not wanting to continue but knowing I have to. "After the Solstice passed, Mom started to spend more and more time with Kya, claiming that there was no other environment on earth, save for the North Pole, that was 'so conducive to waterbending.'" I grimace. "She had just turned seven, so she was still a novice bender, having only just learned the most basic of moves a couple of weeks before — but still, Mom whisked her away, and left me alone to entertain myself. I spent most of my time going penguin sledding, but one morning, Uncle Sokka woke me up to go sailing with him. It wasn't the first time I'd been on a ship or helped him command one, but I'd only started going sailing with him two years prior, so I was still relatively new at it considering we only got to go a couple of times each year.

"It was a little boat, barely big enough for the two of us," I continue, biting my lip as the memories start coming back to me. "We were in the waters just off the shore of the village where he and Mom grew up, in the northwestern part of the South Pole," I explain. "When we set sail, the weather was fine. The sea was choppy, but manageable, and the wind was strong enough to power the sails, but not strong enough to present a danger to us. Off in the distance was a white cloud — well, not a _cloud_ , but that certain white screen of dust or fog that appears in the sky whenever a snowstorm is brewing — but it was still a good distance away, and we didn't intend on going very far out, so we thought we'd be alright. We weren't.

"When the snow and the wind started picking up, Uncle Sokka told me to help him turn the boat around to go back to the village, so I tried — but the wind was more powerful than our little boat, and to make things worse, it was blowing in the direction opposite the village." I tug the edges of my collar closer together, still able to feel the chill of that morning even though it's long since passed. "As the snow started falling more heavily, it started hailing, and the waves got stronger. We were able to make some progress, but when our mainsail tore, we realized that we were at the mercy of the storm. I climbed up the mast to see if I could repair it, but I had to balance on one foot to reach the tear, and with the wind as strong as it was, that wasn't an easy thing to do. When I grabbed hold of the torn area, I slipped and ended up tearing it even more. I even fell overboard! I could barely manage to stay afloat, between the coldness of the water and the roughness of the waves, but Uncle Sokka threw me one of those circular life vests and pulled me back onto the ship. However, with the mainsail all but shredded and the water starting to flood the deck, there wasn't much we could do in terms of controlling the vessel." I shiver again. "We had to abandon it. The mainsail was torn to shreds, the mast was taking a beating from the hail, the deck was quickly flooding, and the waves were threatening to overturn the entire thing.

"Uncle Sokka told me to get downstairs, and I asked him how he could control the ship by himself. He didn't answer — just told me to get downstairs again and hide under deck. I started to argue with him, saying that I wanted to help, but he just yelled that I couldn't and that there was no good to be got in me getting blown overboard again."

I glance at Uncle Zuko again before clenching my hands into fists and returning my gaze to the floor. "I could see the fear in his eyes — unadulterated and uncontrolled fear. He couldn't control the ship, and he knew it. The ship was going to go down, and he knew it. We were going to die, and he knew it." I start gnawing at my thumbnail. "I could see the defeat on his face, and I knew that at that moment, he was blaming himself for my death because he was the one who had taken me out — even though there was no way he could have known that the storm was going to hit as quickly or as badly as it did.

"I started to go below deck, but when I got to the stairs leading inside, I hesitated — and I don't know what made me do it, but I turned back to look at Uncle Sokka. He had his hands on the mainsail, but he was staring out in the direction of the South Pole, desperately trying to get a glimpse of civilization even though the snow was coming down so thickly we could barely see what was ten feet in front of us, never mind a village miles away.

"The wind had long since blown his hair out of his wolftail, so his hair was blowing wildly. When he shifted slightly to brush it out of his face, he caught sight of me. As he turned towards me, I saw that there were tears streaming down his cheeks. 'I'm so sorry, Bumi,' he said. 'I… I don't know what to do.'

"I started running towards him. When I reached him, I jumped up and hugged him like he was the last person I would see before I died — because that's what I thought he was: the last person I'd see before I drowned.

"I didn't want to let go of him, but I did. I let go, and then laid a hand on his shoulder and told him that he shouldn't blame himself for anything. He said that it was all his fault and then turned his back to me. 'If only Katara were here… she could help us,' he said. 'If only I were a waterbender… I've been sailing for years, but what am I supposed to do when my ship collapses and leaves us at the mercy of water I can't control?'

"I said that we had to make the water work for us and repeated what he had told me so many times over the years — that even though we can't _bend_ the elements, we could still use them to our advantage and make them fight for us. He just stared at me defeatedly, though, so we just sat on the deck and resigned ourselves to our fate. We sat there until the waves overturned the ship and left us scrambling to get our heads above the freezing water."

I angrily wipe away the tears that have started to fall down my face. I'm almost fifteen years old, for spirits' sake! I should not be crying!

"I kept getting dragged underwater, so Uncle Sokka threw me over his shoulder and held onto me as he started swimming. When he found the door that led below deck, he sat me on it, then swam a little bit to get the smaller sail and two small wooden boards from what used to be the deck. He swam back over to me, climbed aboard the door, and stood up on it, holding the sail above his head, his arms spread wide so that the wind could course through him and under the sail. I watched him for a minute, then picked up the wooden boards and started rowing, the water freezing my hands as it soaked through my gloves. We got overturned a couple of times, but we didn't complain about it. We were at the water's mercy, and it hadn't killed us yet, so we were grateful.

"We made it back to the village, although how long we had been gone I couldn't tell you. Grandpa, Mom, and Kya were all waiting for us near the water's edge, and all three gasped when they saw us. We were soaked from head to toe, and our clothes were ripped all over. We were confused and shivering, so cold our skin was pale and our lips were blue. We could barely walk, so Grandpa carried me over his shoulder and Mom wrapped her arm around Uncle Sokka's waist as they led us back to Grandpa's hut. I don't remember much after that. In fact, the next thing I can recall is waking up and seeing Mom's tear-stained face.

"She withdrew her hands, letting the water she had been using to heal me fall to the ground, and drew me into her arms for a hug. I asked her how Uncle Sokka was doing, and she told me that he was alright and had woken up a little while before me. I started to go to see him, but as soon as I stepped out of bed I remembered what he had said earlier about us not being able to help ourselves because we weren't waterbenders. I also remembered those defeated looks he had shot me, as well as that look of shame that came over him when he realized that there was nothing he could do and that he was at the water's mercy because he wasn't a waterbender… and I hated him! I _still_ hate him! He lied to me! He lied to me when he said that he didn't mind not being a bender. He lied to me when he said that nonbenders can do anything a bender can do. He lied to me when he said that we could make the elements fight for us even if we can't control them." I turn to look at Uncle Zuko, my rage evident in my eyes. "He had told me over and over again to be strong, to fight using all the skills I had rather than surrender to the one I did not have — but in the moment of truth, he did the opposite of what he had always told me to do." I shift my attention towards the wooden floor again. "I will never forgive Uncle Sokka," I declare. "He's a liar and a hypocrite and…"

My lip starts quivering, so I squeeze my eyes shut, refusing to cry and to finish the rest of my sentence.

"And what, Bumi?" Uncle Zuko asks as he draws me into his arms.

"He made me scared of the water!" I shout, the tears I've barely been containing finally starting to fall. I cling to Uncle Zuko's robes and sob into his chest, embarrassed about being so hysterical but too miserable to back up even an inch. It doesn't seem to matter to him, though; he just hugs me closer to him and strokes my back gently.

"I used to love the water," I continue, barely able to spit out the words through the sobs that are wracking my body. "I used to love the water and going sailing with him. I loved helping him command a ship. It made me feel powerful… but everything he said during that storm about being powerless, about being at the mercy of the water we couldn't bend…" I choke back some more tears and then gaze up at Uncle Zuko. "I've been so afraid ever since, Uncle," I admit. "I'm terrified by the thought of being at its mercy again. When I stole a glider and ran away a couple of weeks ago, a storm blew me out of the sky and into Yue Bay, and I almost drowned… and it brought me back to that day on the ship with Uncle Sokka." I glower at nothing in particular, but the sharp expression soon gives way to more tears, and I burrow my head into my uncle's shoulder again. "I hate the water now, and it's all Uncle Sokka's fault!" I cry.

"Oh, Bumi…" Uncle Zuko murmurs. "You—." He starts to say something else, but he changes his mind and closes his mouth. He continues stroking my back softly, and I have never been more grateful for someone's existence as I am right then, as I sit in his lap, sobbing into his shoulder and clinging to his robes as if for dear life, the truth I've never told anyone finally out in the open, the tears I've never shed finally falling.

I have never been more relieved, nor more distraught, in my entire life.


	6. Turning the Tide

CHAPTER SIX

"I said _charge_ your attack, Princess!"

"I _am_!"

"You're _not_ charging them," Izumi's firebending instructor contests. He breaks the flames around him with his arms, then shoots her a pointed look. "You're giving your fire jabs your all, but giving an attack your all and _charging_ an attack are two different things," he says. "You're throwing too many jabs to be charging them; a charged attack is slow. When you charge an attack, you sacrifice speed for power."

I watch in silence as Izumi inhales deeply and draws her fist back, then exhales the breath as fast as she throws her fist forward, releasing a large ball of fire that soars towards her instructor. It gains momentum and increases in size as it travels across the courtyard, and the instructor, since the fire ball is too large to break, creates a shield of fire to protect himself. When the ball smashes into the shield, the flames start to dissipate; and with a swift kick, the instructor extinguishes the remaining fire. He bows to Izumi in the traditional Fire Nation style, and she bows back.

"Well, Master Youta?" she prompts, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow at the instructor. "How was that?"

"It was better, but you still have a lot of work to do," he responds.

"Ugh!" Izumi cries. She throws her hands up in the air in frustration, then lets them fall to her sides. "I'm never going to become a master!" she whines, fire daggers appearing at her clenched fists.

"Whoa there, Princess Hothead," I laugh, revealing myself at last. I give a respectful nod to Master Youta, who, since he was on the far side of the courtyard, has known I've been here the whole time.

The princess whips her head around to look at me, and as soon as she sees me, her cheeks flush as red as the shirt she's wearing. "W—what are you doing here, Bumi? How long have you been here?"

"Oh, a couple of minutes," I answer vaguely. "You're looking as hot as ever, Princess," I add, a smirk tugging at the corners of my lips.

She places her hands on her hips and shoots me a look. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're a firebender — and fire's hot." I turn around and start ascending the stairs leading to the back door of the house, confident that she knows that I was referring to her physique, not her firebending. "I'll let you get back to it, though. You don't have to set a poor peasant boy on fire."

"You're the Avatar's son, Bumi," the princess groans. "You're hardly a peasant boy."

"I'm still no match for a firebending princess," I say, shrugging and climbing up another step.

"Hey!" she cries. "Where do you think you're going?"

I turn back around to look at her. "I didn't mean to distract you from your training, Princess," I say. "I just came to observe."

She turns towards Master Youta. "I appreciate the lesson, Master Youta, but I have to ask that we cut it short and resume later," she says, bowing respectfully to the old man.

"As you wish, Princess," the master replies. He returns the bow, then retreats to another corner of the grounds, leaving Izumi and me alone.

She turns back around and, her hands on her hips again, shoots me a look, her amber eyes gleaming with mischief. "What _exactly_ did you come to observe, Bumi?" she inquires playfully.

"Your form," I answer, keeping my response vague. Do I mean her physical form, or her firebending form?

She knows the answer to that as well as I do. I can tell because of the expression she wears as she saunters up to me and, laying one hand on my shoulder and the other on my chest, gives me a soft, brief kiss on the lips. "I bet," she smiles, her amusement evident in her voice.

I return the smile, then turn to look out into the now-empty courtyard. "You _did_ look good out there, though," I tell her. "You'll get the hang of it eventually. You always do."

She gently places her hand on the side of my face and turns my head so that I'm looking at her. "Are you okay, Bumi?" she asks, concern etched on her beautiful face. "You've been so distant and… _quiet_ … the past two days. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," I answer, taking her hand off my cheek and grasping it in both of mine. "I had a long talk with your father the other day, and I've just been… reevaluating some things."

"Did Dad upset you?" Izumi asks. "I'll kill him if he did! I'll be banished for committing treason, but I don't care."

"Whoa, Princess, calm down," I command, laughing at the sincerity in her voice. "You don't need to kill your father. He didn't upset me. He gave me some good advice, actually."

"What did he advise you on?"

"Oh… a lot of things — the advantages I have that I can utilize in a fight… my family… my fears… _life_ ," I answer, turning back towards the courtyard. "He's a wise man."

"Yes, he is," Izumi murmurs, her tone reverential. "Can I ask what he said?"

"I'll tell you what he said about _one_ of the topics," I respond, smirking at her. "Choose carefully, my lady!"

She stares at me for a minute, a contemplative expression on her face. "What did he say about your fears?" she finally asks. "I don't care a whole lot about battle advantages, and I imagine that whatever he said about your family and about life in general was cliché — nothing I couldn't think of myself, if given the chance. I can't, however, figure out what he could have said about your fears — albeit that's mainly because I've never known you to actually be afraid of anything." She looks at me curiously. "What is the Avatar's fearless, wild child of a son afraid of?"

I sit down on the steps and fix my gaze on the dirt courtyard that's surrounded by trees and jagged, mountain-like rocks. Izumi takes a seat beside me, sitting so close her right thigh brushes against my left one, and as I wrap my left arm around her she snuggles closer to me. "I'm afraid of being powerless," I answer finally. "I'm afraid of being at the mercy of elements I can't control."

I release a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding as Izumi lays a hand on my back and starts rubbing it in a circular motion. She doesn't say a word, so I continue.

"I almost died in sailing accident two years ago, when a storm overturned Uncle Sokka's ship while we were sailing through the waters off the coast of the South Pole," I divulge. "I don't want to go into detail about it, but it was… bad. We were powerless. It was by sheer luck that we were able to make it back to Grandpa's village alive — and we were in such bad shape when we returned that the fact that I'm alive to tell the story now is little more than proof that my mother is the greatest healer in the world." I squeeze Izumi's hand as a shiver courses through me, then release it and continue. "I ran away from home two weeks before I came here. I stole a glider and just took off, soaring over Yue Bay… but when the wind picked up, I couldn't control it, and I was thrown into the bay. I almost drowned. I _would have_ drowned, had Dad not rescued me. I had swallowed so much water that I was sick for _days_ afterwards, even though Dad had waterbent most of the water out of me when he initially found me with my head barely above the waves."

"Oh, Bumi…" Izumi whispers, laying a hand on my cheek again. She stares at me for a couple of seconds, then draws me into a hug. I welcome it.

"When I realized that I'd almost drowned that night I left Air Temple Island, I became even more scared of the water," I admit, withdrawing from Izumi's comforting embrace. "I've been afraid of it ever since that incident with Uncle Sokka two years ago — so afraid that I haven't been able to get on a ship since, save for the ferry that runs between the island and the city… although whenever I could, I went in early with my dad, on Appa, because I… well, I've been afraid of the ocean all this time." I turn back towards the tranquil scene before us and sigh. "I used to love the water, but that incident with Uncle Sokka made me realize just how powerless I really am against it. I mean, Uncle Sokka has been sailing since he was half my age, yet on that day, there was nothing he could do.

"I've been afraid of the water ever since. I don't want to be that vulnerable ever again," I continue. "I'd always been told that even though I can't bend, I can still use the elements to my advantage… but that day — and again the night I ran away and almost drowned in Yue Bay — I realized that that's false. I can't control water or make it fight for me. I'm completely powerless against it."

Izumi snuggles up against me again and rests her hand on my thigh. "What did Dad say?" she asks.

"He said that while a master waterbender can control water to some extent, it still has its own mind — that of La, the Ocean Spirit," I answer. "While a waterbender can control the tides, they can't control La — and when La wants to make the ocean behave a certain way, the ocean will behave according to La's will, as there's no waterbender in the world strong enough to usurp control of the tides. While my mother is, arguably, the greatest waterbender in the world, she wouldn't have been able to help us even if she had been on the ship with Uncle Sokka and me. She can make water fight _for_ her, but she can't win a fight _against_ it — against _La_. The ocean is La incarnate; and no human, waterbender or not, can win a fight against a spirit, incarnate or no."

"I think that was proven when Admiral Zhao killed the Moon Spirit during the Siege of the North and Uncle Aang merged with the Ocean Spirit to form Koizilla and exact revenge on the Fire Nation soldiers," Izumi comments.

"You're just like your father," I remark, shooting Izumi a small smile. "You both chose that tale for evidence." I chuckle, then get serious again. "When we were talking, he said that being afraid of water is like being afraid of fire… because fire, too, is essentially uncontrollable. It's not controlled by a spirit, like the ocean is, but once a flame is created, it'll continue to burn until someone extinguishes it or it fulfills its destiny." I glance at Izumi and see that she's staring at me like I've lost my mind, so I decide to explain. "When our parents were kids, one of their allies was this guy named Jeong Jeong. He was once a revered admiral in the Fire Nation Navy, but after a while, he became disillusioned with Ozai's policies and deserted, becoming a fugitive.

"Jeong Jeong was a master firebender, but he was full of self-loathing. He referred to firebending as 'a burning curse' on more than one occasion, and believed that fire was only destruction and pain — which, of course, is wrong. It's energy and life — at least according to the dragons, who, quite frankly, I'm inclined to believe." I grin at Izumi. She smiles back.

"Anyway, while Jeong Jeong was wrong about that, he was right when he said that once created, a fire will continue to breathe and grow, because its destiny is to spread and consume everything it touches," I continue. "When a fire reaches a certain size, it becomes more powerful than any human can ever dream of being — and when that happens, there is nothing even a master firebender like your father or your great-uncle can do to stop it from pursuing its destiny. When a fire gets that big, whether or not one can firebend becomes irrelevant. The flames will do what they are destined to do."

I turn towards Izumi and take her hand in mine. "I was right when I said that I'm powerless against the elements — but one of the things that Uncle Zuko taught me is that, in the end, so is everyone else." I caress her cheek gently with a finger and smile. "We're humans — not elements or spirits. Our power has limits, and if we spend our time on this earth afraid of anything and everything that has the power to ruin us, we'll never truly live. We have to let go of our obsessive need for control and just let things _be_. When we come across a situation that we can't control, we have to adapt. We can't surrender to our fear of the uncontrollable."

I let go of the princess's hand and stand upright, then run my fingers through my characteristically wild hair. I ignore the sweat that's dripping down my bare, muscled back and instead savor the feeling of the sun on my skin. "When it comes to adapting to seemingly omnipotent enemies and to dodging attacks supplemented by the elements, I have the advantage — according to your dad, at least," I add. "I was skeptical at first, but after some thought, I'm starting to think he's right. I mean, whenever I spar with a bender, I go up against someone who has more raw power than me and who chucks an element at me. When I fight, I'm forced to rely on agility, brainpower, hand-to-hand combat, and speed — and those are all things that can help me escape a situation where one of the elements is so strong that even a master bender can't control it."

I glance back at Izumi. She's still sitting on the step, staring at me, an expression I can't quite decipher on her face. "When Uncle Sokka's ship got overturned," I start, "we were left at the mercy of the ocean. It was just the two of us out there, and all hope seemed to be lost — and even though Uncle Sokka wanted to concede defeat, he didn't. He built us a makeshift raft out of a door and a piece of a sail and went ahead, entrusting the sea with our lives. He didn't surrender to his fear that we would die at the hand of the uncontrollable ocean. He looked at what he had to work with, then came up with a plan. Did his plan involve us putting our faith in the ocean that had, just minutes before, almost killed us? Yes. Did he wish he could have more control over the situation? Yes. We couldn't control the ocean — _no one_ could have — but he _could_ control what he did to _manage_ the situation, and he fought using the same set of skills he uses whenever he goes against any average waterbender: his resourcefulness, his knowledge of the element being used against him, and a bit of luck. And he got us home."

"You're an incredible storyteller, Bumi," Izumi giggles, walking up to me and wrapping her arms around my waist. She lays her head against my collarbone, and when she leans into me I can feel the heat of her breath on my chest. "Are you sad, Bumi?" she asks.

I'm a little taken aback by the question. _Am I sad? Am I_ sad _?_

"I was… but I'm not now," I answer, caressing her back with my hand. "I regret spending the last two years being petrified of the water and treating Uncle Sokka like crud, but I wouldn't say that I'm _sad_ about it." I plant a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "I'm pretty sure I know how to rectify all that, though, so right now, all I want to do is develop some new skills that I can utilize in battle — be the battle against other nonbenders, benders, or even the elements themselves." I grab Izumi's shoulders and force her back a step so that I can look at her. "All this brings me back to my real reason for being out here, though, Princess," I say. "I've got a favor to ask you."

"What is it?" she inquires.

I don't break her gaze as I take her hand in mine and, stealthily, steal one of the kunai knives she keeps inside a sheath hidden by her sleeve. I can't help but smirk as I hold it up for her to see. "Can you teach me to throw these?" I ask.

She holds her hand out, the smirk on my face duplicated on hers; and, getting the message, I lay the knife down on her open palm. "I think I can do that," she answers. She slips the knife back under her sleeve, then throws her arms around my neck and leans in for a kiss.

I start to kiss her back, but as soon as I do, she shoves me. "Nuh-uh, loverboy," she says, a devious twinkle in her amber eyes. "I've got your full attention, so it's the perfect time to start practicing — and you've got a lot to learn!"


	7. The Long Way

CHAPTER SEVEN

"What are _you_ doing here, little toucan-puffin?" I ask as a colorful-beaked, black-feathered, blue-breasted, white-bellied bird lands on a ridge above me. It squawks in response, and I cock my head at it, careful not to loosen my grip on the mountainside. "Why are you so high up?" I ask again. "I thought toucan-puffins preferred being near the ground."

It squawks again.

"You wanted a better view of the coast, eh?" I guess, turning my head a bit to look to my left, where the beach lies a couple dozen feet below.

The toucan-puffin squawks a third time, and I laugh. "You understand me, little guy, but I'm afraid I don't understand you." I smile at the bird and remove one hand from the cliff to rub its head. "You should get back to your friends," I suggest as I drag my foot along the cliffside in an attempt to find an irregularity. When I do, I slowly lower my right foot onto the small, shelf-like irregularity, then balance the toes of my left foot on an even smaller ledge. "I'm working to get back to my friends right now," I add, gripping a finger pocket and taking another step down the mountain.

It squawks again.

"Yeah, I know," I grumble. I glance at my left hand; the athletic tape I wrapped around it earlier to give me a better grip has begun to unwind. _Crud._ "I should've just taken the path down to the beach and walked along the coast until I got to the meadow… but I didn't, alright? I figured I'd get a better workout by climbing the mountain separating the house and the meadow."

I'm answered with another squawk.

"It's not that fun anymore, no," I admit.

The toucan-puffin cocks its head and stares at me, silent. I glare at it. "Oh, don't look at me like that!" I cry. "You could've stayed near the ground, like you toucan-puffins usually do, but you flew all the way up here for some reason. We're not that different!"

 _Did I just compare myself to a toucan-puffin?_ I wonder as the bird squawks another reply that I can't understand.

"Yeah, yeah," I grouse, guessing at its response — or perhaps just talking to myself. "The difference is that you can fly and I can't. I'm well aware of that fact, little guy — trust me." I glance over my shoulder at the courtyard below me and groan; I still have so much longer to go.

The bird squawks again.

"No, no one knows I'm gone," I answer. I start looking for another pocket to stick the tip of my foot into, but the sight of my shadow distracts me. It's facing west, and although it's short, it's still long enough that I can see it sticking out behind me, which means that it's probably around 9:00 AM, give or take. _Uncle Zuko and Aunt Mai will be waking up soon, if they haven't already_ , I realize.

I glance upwards, squinting a bit as I do so to avoid the glare of the sun above me. The rocks jut out of the ground to form a shape that resembles a slanted triangle, and I had decided against climbing to the peak of the triangular mountain because doing so would have been a waste of my energy. I climbed up the side of the mountain closest to the house, instead. It's the straighter — and, consequently, slightly higher — side, but I figured that when I was making my descent back down this side of the mountain, I could just…

"I'll see you later, little guy," I tell the toucan-puffin as I release my grip on the rocks and jump onto the roof of Uncle Zuko's beach house. I'm not as close to it as I'd like to be, but before I can fall too far I grab onto the gold edge of the roof and throw myself onto the roof's red shingles. When I stop tumbling, I check the fire lilies I had plucked from the meadow and tucked into my belt to avoid having to hold them while I climbed. The flowers have started to wilt, but since the petals are still the same vibrant ruby — a color for which they're famous worldwide, even though they only bloom a few weeks each year — as before, I chalk that up to the fact that they haven't been in water since I uprooted them.

I sit still for a minute, listening for evidence that I woke people up, but all is silent. I don't hear anything except the quiet, distant lapping of the waves against the sand; the soft breeze blowing in from the coast below; and the squawking of toucan-puffins on the rocks near the beach.

 _All is good_ , I think as I get up and walk across the roof to where I know Izumi's room is. I sit down on what, if I'm correct, is the middle of her ceiling.

 _"You've got a good handle on throwing knives at stationary targets, I think. We'll continue to practice, but for now, I think you're ready to move on to throwing with opposition."_

 _"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, wiping the sweat off my forehead with the back of my wrist._

 _"You're going to be a warrior, right?"_

 _"Mm…" I murmured, unsure. I'd never really given any thought to what I wanted to be. My siblings' destinies were decided the moment they discovered they could bend. Kya would learn to heal, and somehow incorporate that skill into her work, and Tenzin would repopulate the Air Nomads and serve as their leader — and, eventually, train the next Avatar in airbending. But me? I didn't have a set destiny. I could do nothing or I could do anything. "I guess so."_

 _"Well, when you're in battle," Izumi started, her hands behind her back as she paced to and fro around the courtyard, "you're almost definitely going to be facing multiple opponents at once — so, in this exercise, you will have both a primary target and a secondary target." She drew her fingers up to her mouth and whistled, and a servant appeared from somewhere inside the house, lugging a hay-filled dummy attached to a stick._

 _"Where do you want me to set it up, Princess?" he asked._

 _Izumi looked around the courtyard, then pointed to the far end of it, where the trees met the rocks that merged with the mountains that jutted out on either side of us, separating us from the island's other inhabitants. "You can put it over there, Sho," she answered. "Yes, that's good. Thank you."_

 _Sho nodded and bowed, and once he returned to the house Izumi returned her attention to me. "Okay, so for this exercise, that dummy will be your primary target." She pointed at the dummy, then turned back towards me. "I will be your secondary target, but it is I who you'll be fighting directly. I'm the dummy's second-in-command, so you and I are temporary enemies. It's your job to subdue me and kill General Dummy over there." She gestured towards the dummy again, then, with a swift motion, tied her thick hair back in a long ponytail. "As a nonbender, you should try to close the distance between us and force me to rely on my hand-to-hand combat skills. How good are yours?"_

 _"Well, I have room for improvement, but Uncle Sokka taught me the basics when I was little, and I've been in boxing classes ever since I was ten, so overall I'd say they're pretty good," I answered, shrugging._

 _"I'm glad to hear that," Izumi smiled. "When we're fighting, though, do me a favor and don't hurt me, okay?"_

 _"I wouldn't dream of hurting you, Princess," I replied._

 _She smiled, but her smile quickly turned into a smirk. "Okay, you know what you have to do — close the distance between us, subdue me somehow, and whenever you find an opening, throw a knife at General Dummy. You'll want to aim for the neck or the heart to ensure a kill — and you_ want _to kill. General Dummy has killed three of your men, so this isn't the time to show the world how merciful you are." She wiped some sweat off her face and gave me a serious look. "We're going to run through this drill over and over and over, but that's because it's important. You need to learn how to throw knives while facing opposition… because in a real battle, people are going to block you. They're going to try to stop you and—." She looked away. "They're going to try to kill you." She lifted her head and met my gaze. "We'll run through this again and again so that you can get a feel for different angles and distances and perfect your throw in each situation. Are you ready?"_

 _"Yes," I answered, getting into a defensive stance. "I'm ready."_

I stare out at the courtyard, where we've been training. General Dummy, as the princess so cleverly nicknamed the sack of hay, is still standing there, although the hay that had been used to stuff the sacks that are his head and body is lying in a heap on the ground around him.

 _"Good job, Bumi!" Izumi exclaimed proudly. She stood up and scrutinized the dummy. "You saw your chance and took it. I'm impressed that you were able to get such a good hit without subduing me first. You got him right in the heart!" She yanked the knife out of the sack of hay. "It went in deep, too, which means you had a lot of force behind your throw. I'm impressed. It took_ me _a couple of days before I could land a decent hit from the ground."_

I can't help but smile as I stare at General Dummy. I've only been training for two weeks, but I'm talented and a quick learner, and already I can give Izumi a run for her money.

 _"You should thank the spirits you're ambidextrous, Bumi," Izumi said as she climbed off of me, the fire dagger at her fist disappearing according to her will. "You can use both hands, which is an advantage that most of us don't have," she elucidated, seeing my confused look. "I can tell you prefer your right, but I've seen you use your left, and it's also deadly — so if you're ever in a position where it's impossible to get a good hit with your right hand, don't be afraid to use your left. You'll be able to kill someone with both hands by the time you go back home, if we keep practicing."_

 _I answered not with words, but with a nod, since all the talk about killing people made me uncomfortable. I was taught that all life is sacred, and was even raised on a mostly vegetarian diet. I didn't like the thought of killing someone. I'd rather subdue them. I'd disable them if I had to, but… kill them? I wasn't sure that I could. The mere thought of killing someone made me feel guilty!_

I retrieve one of the kunai knives I have stored in the sheath I bought when Aunt Mai took me shopping to get one. It's a chest sheath, so the weapon is concealed beneath my tunic. I got another one, too, that wraps around the arm, but I'm not a huge fan of how that one feels, so I strapped the remainder of my knives to the sides of my boots instead.

 _It's hard to believe that Aunt Mai used to throw these at my parents… that she used to want to hurt them_ , I think as I twirl the knife around, _but it was a different time… and besides, Uncle Zuko used to want to capture my father, and now they're good friends. Things change._

I hear some stirring beneath me, so I slide the knife back into the sheath and, grabbing hold of the golden edge again, swing myself over the roof and through Izumi's open window. She's sitting up in bed, still in her nightgown.

"B—Bumi?" she whispers, eyeing me skeptically.

"Good morning, Princess," I grin. I unwrap the fire lilies from my belt and hold them out to her. "I picked these for you."

"Aw, Bumi!" she squeals, her tiredness forgotten. She accepts the flowers excitedly, and smells them for a second before placing them in the vase on her nightstand. "They're beautiful! Thank you." She smiles. "But how did you—?"

"Shh," I interrupt her, walking over to her bed and leaning forward a bit to give her a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll tell you later, even though you'll just call me stupid for going the long way." I grin at the confused look that's washed over her, then continue. "I have to go, though," I sigh. "If your dad catches me in here this early in the morning, he'll think we… well, he'll burn me alive — and I'd rather not be burned alive today." I shoot her a suggestive look. "I'm too excited for practice later."

She lays her hand on my cheek and draws me in for another kiss. "You do have a… _wide range_ of skills, Boom," she giggles before letting me go and shoving me off her bed. "Okay, get out of here. I'd be very sad if you died today." She glances at me over her shoulder and chuckles. "Tell Dad that I'll be at the table for breakfast in fifteen minutes, please," she adds.

"As you command, Princess," I grin, saluting her like a soldier before stalking across the room. When I reach her door, I glance back at her and add with a wink, "I live to serve."


	8. Sparks Fly

CHAPTER EIGHT

"You're joking, right? I'm not doing that!"

"You have to, Bumi!"

"I won't! I refuse!"

"Come on!" Izumi urges.

"I'm _not_ going to throw a knife at you!"

She crosses her arms over her chest and cocks her head at me. "Why not?" she demands.

"I could hurt you — or worse, I could _kill_ you! I could—."

"Stop right there, Bumi," she interrupts. "I trust you."

"Well, I'm glad, but _I_ don't trust _myself_ ," I respond. "I've only been doing this for three weeks, Princess! Chucking knives at a sack of hay is one thing; chucking them at _you_ is a _whole_ different ballpark."

"Yes, and that's exactly the point," the princess argues. "You have to practice throwing knives at a moving target. You've mastered throwing them at stationary targets with and without opposition, from all angles and distances. The next stage of your training involves throwing your knives at a _moving_ target — so unless sacks of hay can suddenly move, this is the only way."

"Do you realize what could happen, Princess?" I ask her.

"Yes, I do — but since when do _you_ care about consequences, Wild Child?" she answers, smirking.

I don't look at her as I run my fingers through my ever-unruly hair and scream into the empty courtyard. A couple of toucan-puffins squawk in response, but Izumi remains silent. She doesn't even react when I glare at her. "Grr… since I could kill the heir to the throne!" I shout. "You realize your dad will _kill_ me if he learns about this, right? And if your dad kills me, _my_ dad will kill _him_ , and then the Fire Nation will respond by starting another Hundred Year War… and it'll be all _your_ fault, you crazy—!"

She raises an eyebrow and shoots me a pointed look. "Crazy _what_ , Bumi?" she dares.

"Woman! Crazy _woman_!" I yell. "Spirits, Izumi, I'm _not_ doing it!"

"Izumi?" she repeats, her expression softening. "You… you never call me Izumi…"

"Well, excuse me for using your actual name, Princess," I say sarcastically.

She walks over to me and lays a hand on my chest, her palm pressed against the same area covered by the sheath that is hidden beneath my tunic, then looks up at me, her amber eyes ablaze with an emotion I can't discern. "You're scared, I know… but I trust you, Bumi," she asserts. "You're not going to hurt me. You have an incredible aim, and during this exercise, you aren't going to be aiming anywhere lethal. You'll just be trying to subdue me by using your knives to pin me to something! I wore a long-sleeved shirt today for a reason." She cups my face in her hands. "It'll be fine, Bumi. _I'll_ be fine."

I stare down at her worriedly, my fingers wrapped in her long, thick hair. "What if I miss?" I ask, the words barely escaping my lips. "What if I —?"

"You won't miss," she replies confidently.

"What if I do, though?"

"Okay, listen to me," she orders. "You have an incredible talent for this, Bumi. You've only been doing this for three weeks, yet you're as good as _me_ — if not my mother! You won't miss. You won't hurt me."

The surety and trust in Izumi's voice amazes me. _How is she so confident in my ability? How can she have so much faith in me?_ I wonder.

I hug Izumi to me, one hand in her hair and one hand on the small of her back, and breathe in her characteristic scent, which is a combination of ash, tea, and something else. I relax a bit as she wraps her arms around my waist and nuzzles her face into my collarbone. "If anything were to happen to you…" I start.

"How many times do I have to tell you that nothing is going to happen to me?" she asks, a hint of exasperation in her voice. She breaks our embrace and stares up at me, her amber eyes gazing straight through my grayish ones and into my soul. "You have to let go of your fear, Bumi," she tells me. "You're more likely to screw up if you hold onto it, so let it go. You'll hit your target so long as you have faith in your ability to do so. I promise."

I scrutinize her expression in an attempt to find some evidence of fear or uncertainty, but I don't see any — so, reluctantly, I nod my consent.

She retreats to the far side of the courtyard, where General Dummy had been stationed just a couple of days ago, without another word, and I retreat to the near side, the side closer to the steps that lead up to the back door of the house. I assume a defensive position, one in which my arms are drawn in front of my chest to protect my center and to block any fire she sends my way and my boots are just grazing the ground as I bounce from foot to foot, ready to change direction upon the first sign of opposition.

I do just that when, with no warning whatsoever, Izumi creates a fire whip. I sidestep it before it can grab hold of one of my limbs, then backflip over the fire bomb she directs towards me. The flames meet the dirt at the same time my hands do, and as the bomb explodes beneath me I thrust myself upright and duck to avoid the stream of fire the princess aims at my head. I weave through the fire jabs she creates and aims at me the same way I would the spinning gates back at home, changing direction at the first sight of an orange flame, my feet just skimming the ground.

When I reach the center of the courtyard, she creates another fire bomb. She thrusts her fist towards the ground, sending towards me an explosive burst of fire that only increases in size as it travels the short distance between us. I jump over it, only to see her create, with a spinning kick reminiscent of her father's breakdancing-like firebending style, an expanding ring of fire to surround me. When I'm close enough to do so, I slam my hands against the ground and cartwheel over the ring. As I turn in the air, I catch a glimpse of Izumi drawing her fist back slowly. _This is it_ , I think, reaching under my tunic and withdrawing a knife from the sheath I've taken to wearing on my chest. I throw the knife at the princess's right sleeve and watch with satisfaction as it glides through the fabric and pins her arm to the tree directly behind her right as she's about to thrust her fist forward. The fire jab she had been charging soars into the sky, setting the leaves above her aflame.

She glances up at the fire above her head, then sends a quick, uncharged fire jab towards me to occupy me as she starts to free her arm. I dodge the fire jab easily, then send another knife towards her, successfully pinning the sleeve of her other arm to the tree. She kicks her leg out, releasing a stream of fire, but I sidestep it with ease and am at her side a second later, holding another knife close to her neck (albeit not so close that it could actually cut her). I shoot her a smug look and wait for her concession.

It comes almost immediately. She shoots me a sheepish grin and shrugs as best she can, given that her arms are raised above her head and pinned to the tree behind her. "You win," she concedes. "And guess what? You didn't kill me! Congratulations."

I do the traditional Fire Nation-style bow before her, then, with some effort, yank the knives out of the tree trunk. I slide them back under my tunic, into the sheath on my chest, then return my attention towards her. "You charged your attack," I inform her. "Congrats."

"Thanks." She blushes, then lightly punches me on the arm. "You did well. You took advantage of your agility and speed and were perceptive, and those throws were excellent — accurate but also forceful." She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, then continues. "You waited for the right time and pounced on your opportunity as soon as you saw it. You didn't hesitate and give yourself the chance to second-guess whether or not it was the right time to go on the offensive. You used your skills and trusted your instinct and it paid off. I'm very proud of you."

I open my mouth to respond, but before I can thank Izumi for her kind words she throws her arms around my neck and presses her lips against mine. I return her kiss, the desire pulsating in my groin growing with each second our lips remain pressed together.

I shove her against the tree, leaning one hand against its trunk and laying the other on her waist; then I tilt my head ever so slightly to the right and gently bite her bottom lip. She digs her fingernails into my shoulders as we kiss, sucking the air out of each other's lungs; and as the tastes of our mouths combine to form one delectable flavor that is uniquely _us_ , I can't help but think that there is nowhere I would rather be than right here, right now, and nothing I would rather be doing than making out with the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation underneath a tree that's aflame but whose sparks are pathetic compared to those that fly between us.

As I slip my hand underneath her shirt and up towards her breasts to caress the soft, round mounds on her chest, all I can think is that if I could, I would spend the rest of my life right here on Ember Island with Izumi.

 _Yes…_ I think as I bite her lip again. I plant a soft kiss on her jawline, then move onto her neck. _I want to be right here… just the princess and me, the sun on our skin and the breeze on our backs._

What could possibly be better?


	9. Revelations

CHAPTER NINE

"Wow…" I marvel as I stare out at the crystal-clear, cerulean-blue water of the sea that separates the eastern Fire Nation from the Western Air Temple and the western Earth Kingdom. "This water is beautiful."

"Yes, it is," Uncle Zuko agrees as he flattens out the beach towel he brought and begins setting up the umbrella that will shield his, his wife's, and his daughter's fair skin from the sun. "Did you know that Ember Island is also home to several interesting animals, Bumi?" he asks, stepping back to admire his handiwork once the umbrella is set up. "It's home to flying dolphin-fish… iguana-seals…" he scoops a small creature into his hands, then holds it out for me to see, "and even turtle-crabs."

I take the small animal and, as I cup it in my palm, scratch its head. "You're going to be my new best friend," I inform it, smiling at the creature as I hold it up to inspect it more closely.

"I'm getting replaced by a turtle-crab?" Izumi whines indignantly. She rests her hands on her hips and huffs.

I set the turtle-crab down on the sand. When it starts scuttling back towards the shore, I turn back towards Izumi. "I could never replace you, Princess," I tell her. I hold my hand out to her and smile. "Come on now," I add. "Come in the water with me."

The softness of her expression tells me that even though I said the words like a command, she knows that, in reality, they constituted a humble request. "I'd love to," she smiles. She lays her hand in mine, her indignance forgotten.

She waves to her parents with her other hand, then allows me to half-drag, half-lead her down the beach, across the scorching sand and down to the water. We stand on the shore for a second, gazing out at the vast expanse of blue that is the sea.

"So…" the princess starts, gripping my hand tighter, "is this your first time at a beach since the incident with Uncle Sokka?"

"No. I've been to the beach several times since… at the behest of my family," I answer, keeping my gaze focused on the sea. "This is my first time going back in the water, though."

I don't give her time to respond before I take that first step into the water. As the waves lap around my ankles, my muscles tense. The cool temperature of the water reminds me of the incident with Uncle Sokka, and even though I realize now that there's no reason to be afraid of the water, the same fear that has wracked me for the past two years washes over me once again.

"We don't have to go in if you don't want to, Bumi," Izumi murmurs.

"No… no," I mumble. "There's… no reason to fear the water." I take a deep breath, then take another step forward.

She joins me in the water and smiles warmly at me. "I'm so, _so_ proud of you," she says, her voice barely audible.

I take a few more steps forward, but stop once the water reaches my thighs and visions of Uncle Sokka screaming at me and throwing me the life vest when I fell overboard and of Dad waterbending the water out of my lungs after rescuing me flash through my mind.

"Are you alright, Bumi?"

I stare straight ahead, ignoring Izumi, and recall a beloved memory. Dad had swung me into his arms and jumped off of Appa, onto a flying dolphin-fish that was soaring through the air over this same sea, while Mom sat atop Appa's saddle, cradling a newborn Kya in her arms and screaming at us to get off the fish. We didn't, of course. I asked Dad if he could use his bending to make the fish swim faster, but he was too busy whooping with joy to answer me — and to be honest, I didn't care. I couldn't stop laughing, either, despite the waves that were crashing all around us and…

I give Izumi a quick peck on the cheek, then dive underwater. She shouts my name, but I ignore her, choosing to swim further out. There's a dip in the sand about as far out as one would have to be for the water to reach my chest, and all I can think as I swim past it is that I'm glad I didn't choose to walk into the sea — because if I had, I would've surely slipped into it and panicked before I realized that all I had to do was allow myself to float to the surface.

I resurface to warn the princess of the dip, then turn over to float on my back. I squint at the sun, reveling in the feeling of it beating down on my stomach… and then I laugh.

She swims out to me and then, after she swims past the dip, floats upright, her shapely legs kicking beneath her, to keep her head above the water. "It's hard to believe you were ever afraid of the ocean," she smirks, watching me as I dive beneath the water again.

I resurface and offer her the conch shell in my hands.

"I don't want some stupid shell, Bumi," she huffs.

"Well, suit yourself," I shrug. I scrutinize the shell for a second, then throw it as far as I can. It travels so far that our only hint as to where it lands is the splash it makes as it crashes into the water on its way to the ocean floor.

I swim circles around Izumi, chuckling as I do so, then dive underwater again and swim further out. When I turn towards the princess after resurfacing, I see her rolling her eyes at me.

"Okay, Water Tribe," she laughs. "You can swim. I get it. Do you intend on showing off to me every single one of your talents in the week you have left here?"

The realization that I only have one week left with the princess here on Ember Island hits me like a brick to the face, but I hide my sadness with a smile and a joke, like usual. "Oh, Princess, there isn't enough time in a _lifetime_ for me to show you _every single one_ of my talents," I respond, grinning.

She splashes some water at me and smiles. "Yes, because you're just _so_ talented, right?"

My grin only increases in size as I skim my arm over the water, creating a sizeable wave that almost completely drenches her.

"Bumi!"

I laugh so hard I snort. "Come on, Princess — last one back to the shore is a sorry skunk-fish!" I challenge, diving underwater again to swim towards the beach.

She calls out to me again and, against my better judgment, I turn around. "I'm sorry, Princess," I apologize, shooting her a mischievous look, "but I do believe I owe you a kuai ball game — and failing to follow through on a promise would dishonor the Avatar's legacy."

I dive underwater again, then resurface a couple of minutes later, when there is no longer enough water to keep my entire body submerged. I stand up and start running towards the beach, practically throwing myself against the wet sand in my scramble to get to the shore. Izumi arrives as I'm getting back onto my feet.

"It's about time you got here," I grin, releasing a pretend yawn as I watch her squeeze the excess water from her ponytail. "If I had the necessary materials, I could've made myself a cup of tea in the time it took for you to arrive!"

She rolls her eyes. "I was _right_ behind you, Bumi," she states adamantly.

"Yeah… if by 'right behind' you mean about fifteen or so feet behind…" I shoot her a teasing smirk, then lay my hands on her waist and pull her towards me. "It's alright, though. I still love you… even if you _are_ a sorry skunk-fish!"

She answers me with nothing but a stare.

"What?" I ask, shooting her a confused look. "Do I have seaweed in my hair or something?"

"Do you know what you just said, Bumi?" Izumi asks, her expression serious.

"Of course!" I declare. "I said I still… oh! _Oh_ …"

She continues to stare at me, her amber eyes wide but her face otherwise stoic. "Did you mean it, Bumi?" she asks, her voice so soft I almost don't hear the question.

I gaze down at her — at her bare, fair skin and at the intelligence that shines through her eyes like the sun shines through the clouds — and revel in the feeling of her arms around my bare waist and in the sight of the droplets of water dripping down her full chest. "Of course," I repeat.

A shy smile appears on her face. "I love you, too, Bumi," she says softly, nuzzling her head against my chest. She giggles as my meager chest hair tickles her cheek.

As I brush her hair with my fingers and kiss the top of her head, a strange feeling surges through me — but it isn't until I hear Uncle Zuko shout something indecipherable at us that that feeling turns to fear. I'm well aware of Uncle Zuko's reputation as an overprotective father, and it is our mutual fear of his wrath that has kept Izumi and me from being as intimate in public as we are in private.

When I shift to look at the princess's face, I see the same fear I feel. "I think kuai ball can wait until later," she announces, grabbing my wrist and half-guiding, half-dragging me in the direction of the water. "Come on, let's go," she urges. "Dad doesn't like to swim, so he probably won't follow us."

"He also doesn't like boys getting intimate with his precious daughter," I mumble, glancing over my shoulder at a certain fast-approaching Fire Lord.

"You're not a boy, Bumi," Izumi laughs. "You're a man."

I snort. _Me, a man?_ I think. _I'm fourteen!_ "A _merman_ , maybe…" I respond. I walk into the water again, then turn back towards Izumi. "Come on, try to keep up this time," I joke as I start swimming. I swim further and further out, away from the incendiary wrath of the Fire Lord.

" _Spirits_ , Bumi," the princess whines as she struggles to catch up to me. "Are you _sure_ you're not a waterbender?"

I let out a loud laugh, then smirk at her from where I'm now floating just beyond the dip. "Yeah, I'm sure," I say. "I'm not a waterbender. I'm just a wannabe sailor, Your Fieriness."

She starts to roll her eyes at my new nickname for her, but soon stops dead in her tracks. "Sailor?" she repeats, cocking her head at me.

I stare at her, confused, for a minute, then realize what I said and grin. _I've had two major revelations in the couple of minutes I've been in the water_ , I think. _Wow._ "Yes," I say, my voice sure. "A sailor — that's what I want to be."

"You should join the Navy, then, Bumi," she says, diving into the water to swim towards me.

 _Hmm… maybe I will_ , I think. _Maybe I will…_


	10. Customs and Legacies

CHAPTER TEN

"Come _on_ , brain, _shut off_!" I whine, turning over onto my stomach and burying my face in one of the pillows on my bed. "I want to sleep!"

I lie still and listen to the loudest silence I've ever heard for a couple of minutes; then I give up and, with a groan I'm too tired to stifle, sit up again and turn my head to the right to look out the window. I see a full moon and wonder if, back at Air Temple Island, Mom and Kya are outside, practicing a particularly challenging waterbending move under the light of Yue… but then I realize that it's probably around two o'clock in the morning and that that they're almost definitely asleep.

I walk over to the window and lift up the glass, then stick my head out and glance up at the moon. "Why can't I sleep, Yue?" I ask.

She doesn't respond, but as I stare at her I realize what's been keeping me awake: Uncle Sokka. I've been thinking about him ever since Izumi and I returned from the beach earlier.

While Izumi and I were swimming, I saw a Water Tribe ship in the distance. It reminded me that I should have gone ice dodging already. It's a time-honored tradition that serves as a rite of passage for children of the Southern Water Tribe. When a child turns fourteen, their father takes them out on a boat to go ice dodging. Grandpa never took Uncle Sokka because he had left to go fight in the war before Uncle Sokka came of age, but his second-in-command, Bato, took him, Mom, and even Dad when they met up with each other in some Earth Kingdom village. It went flawlessly, but that was because Uncle Sokka knew how to sail and told Mom and Dad what to do. Uncle Sokka offered to take me last winter, after we had returned to the South Pole for winter break, since I had turned fourteen a few months prior, but I, still scared of the water, declined the offer.

I'm not scared now, though, and I want to go. There is nothing I want to do more than go ice dodging and earn my mark — but how can I ask Uncle Sokka to take me when I've refused to speak to him for almost two years? I don't know how to apologize to him, much less ask for a favor.

I take one last look at the moon, then walk out of the room and down the corridor, towards the kitchen. When I peek my head around the wall, I see Uncle Zuko sitting at the table, sipping from a teacup and playing with the chain of his gold necklace. I start to head back towards my room, but when he calls my name I feel obligated to enter the kitchen. When I do, I keep my head bowed, afraid to look at him because I have no idea if he's still mad at me for getting all hands-on-y with his daughter before.

"You can have a seat, Bumi," he says with a roll of his eyes. "I don't bite."

"Yeah, no, you just burn," I retort before I can stop the words from escaping my lips.

Uncle Zuko chuckles, then gestures to the seat across from him. "Yes, well, I wouldn't burn you to teach you a lesson. I'm not my father," he replies.

I sit down at the table and direct my gaze downwards, ordering myself not to look at the burn scar his father gave him for speaking out of turn at a war meeting.

"You don't have to be afraid of me, Bumi," Uncle Zuko continues, his tone serious. "I can't and won't pretend that I _like_ seeing Izumi with someone. I don't. She's my little girl, even if she _is_ turning sixteen in a couple of days." He takes a sip of his tea, then sighs. "If she has to be entertained by anyone, though, I'm glad it's you. She has a lot of boys fawning over her, and I can't help but fear that they're just trying to get with her because she's the Crown Princess — but that's not the case with you. I know that. You're a good kid. You treat her well and you make her happy. I don't want you two being all touchy-feely in public because such behavior would disgrace the Crown, but I give you permission to do whatever she wants behind closed doors. I trust her… and I trust you."

I release the breath I've unknowingly been holding and meet Uncle Zuko's gaze. "Thank you, Uncle," I respond softly, partly to avoid waking anyone up and partly because I'm surprised that I gained his approval so easily.

"You're welcome." He grabs another teacup from the set on the table, then pours me some tea. "Here." He slides the cup towards me. "What's on your mind, kid? You look upset."

"I couldn't sleep, that's all," I answer, accepting the cup with an appreciative nod. "Why are you up?" I ask, raising the cup to my lips to take a sip.

"I was doing some work. I'm on vacation, but that doesn't mean I don't have to lead my nation." He strokes his beard with one hand and stares down at the teacup in front of him. "We've discovered a new group of Ozai loyalists on the outskirts of Capital City, and from what I understand, their leader is using my current absence as evidence of my disloyalty."

"How can anyone be loyal to Ozai?" I wonder aloud. "He was a dictator, a monster!"

"He used schools to spread his pro-war propaganda, and he and his father and grandfather indoctrinated the nation's youth," Uncle Zuko replies. "When generations of people are taught one thing about something, it's hard to believe that someone who says the opposite is telling the truth." He shakes his head sadly, then continues. "We're a proud people, and we don't like being humbled. I understand that, under the new world order, some citizens feel like we've lost our power, our significance… but what _they_ don't understand is how _little_ their lives were worth to my father." He takes a sip of tea and shrugs, behaving as if he has this conversation every day. "It is what it is, and I do what I can to try to improve things, but it'll take time. It's been twenty-odd years since I declared the war to be over, but it's impossible to undo a hundred-odd years of propagandizing and war in a fraction of that time."

 _Does that mean I'll have to spend two years trying to make up to Uncle Sokka? I don't…_

"Bumi?"

"Yeah, Uncle?"

"What are you thinking about? You look miserable."

"Oh." I drag my finger along the rim of my teacup. "I just… I want to go ice dodging."

"You want to go do _what_?" Uncle Zuko asks, staring at me as if I've lost my mind.

"I want to go ice dodging." I sit up straighter and meet his gaze. "It's a rite of passage for Southern Water Tribe children. When a child turns fourteen, their father takes them ice dodging — but since Dad isn't Water Tribe and doesn't know how to sail, Uncle Sokka was going to take me. We were supposed to go last winter, but we didn't because I was still scared of going sailing, of going in the water." I glance down at the elaborate design on the teacup for a second, then return my attention to Uncle Zuko. "I was so afraid of drowning, of being powerless, that I didn't realize until today just how much I missed being in the water. I love the water and I love the feeling of the ocean breeze on my skin… but it's been _years_ since I've said more than two words to Uncle Sokka. How am I supposed to apologize for how I've treated him since the accident? How am I supposed to convince him to take me ice dodging when I've treated him like crud for so long?" I continue, blinking away the tears that are threatening to fall. "I just… I don't know what to do. I'm afraid that things will never be how they used to be between us."

"I've never known Sokka to be unforgiving, Bumi," Uncle Zuko remarks, reaching across the table and placing his hand on top of mine. "And I've known him a long time. I would be _extremely_ surprised if he did anything besides hug you and ask when you want to go." Uncle Zuko withdraws his hand and shoots me a sincere look. "Sokka loves you, Bumi, as much as if you were his own son. I have no doubt that he'll forgive you and take you ice dodging."

"How can you be so sure?" I ask.

"I've been in your position before," he answers.

"You have?" I ask, once again surprised by the amount of things Uncle Zuko and I have in common, despite our many glaring differences.

"Yes. When I was still attempting to capture your father…" Uncle Zuko chuckles at the thought, which seems so ridiculous now, then gets serious again, "I… sort of stabbed my uncle, Iroh, in the back — not literally, of course," he adds, seeing my horrified expression. "I said all sorts of cruel, horrible things to him, and then renounced him as my family in favor of Azula and my father. I acted heartlessly. Uncle Iroh was the man who had been a _real_ father to me, and I essentially told him to stick his you-know-what where the sun don't shine.

"When we stumbled across the White Lotus encampment right before the arrival of Sozin's Comet, I was terrified," he continues. "I didn't want to face him. I didn't know how to apologize, and I didn't think he would forgive me for all the things I had said and done… but I knew what had to be done, so off to his tent I went. He was sleeping when I got there, but when he awoke, words came pouring out of my mouth like water from a fountain. I didn't give myself a chance to think; I just said what I felt. I said that what I did to him was my biggest regret and my greatest source of shame, and before I could even finish apologizing he enveloped me in a hug and told me that he had never been angry at me.

"I was shocked by how easily Uncle Iroh had forgiven me, but after some thought, I realized that that was just the love he had me — and that's the same love that Sokka has for you, Bumi. Sokka will forgive you as easily as Uncle Iroh forgave me, and you two will pick up right where you left off, just as my uncle and I did."

"You mean to tell me that he just forgave you, no questions asked?"

"Yes."

I drink some tea and contemplate Uncle Zuko's words. Uncle Sokka loves me — that much I know. I've never doubted that Uncle Sokka loves me, and it seems like he loves me like Great Uncle Iroh loved Uncle Zuko. Uncle Sokka's tried time and time again to bridge the gap between us — but could he really forgive me so easily?

 _I hope so_ , I think as I shift to look out the window.

"While I was in the water, I saw a Water Tribe ship — or what looked like a Water Tribe ship, at least," I admit, my gaze fixed on the scene illuminated by moonlight. "It seemed to be headed north, so it was probably coming from the Southern Water Tribe and heading to Republic City." I drag my finger along the rim of the teacup in my hands, then shake my head as if to scold myself for getting off track so easily. "When I saw that ship, it made me remember that I've never been ice dodging, even though I'm old enough to go. It also made me realize how much I've missed sailing. I… I've realized that what I want to do is sail."

"Okay. What's wrong with that?" Uncle Zuko inquires, shooting me a curious look.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to fit sailing into the big picture," I answer, turning back around to face him even though I'm well aware of the frustrated expression on my face.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm the _Avatar_ 's son, Uncle," I whine, tugging at my wild hair. "I'm the Avatar's _nonbending_ son, but _still_. I have to uphold his legacy. I _want_ to uphold his legacy — _all_ of your legacies. Dad, Mom, Uncle Sokka, Aunt Toph, and you did the impossible and restored balance to a world devastated by what then seemed like a never-ending war, and it's my job as a child of Team Avatar and as a member of the next generation to maintain the balance you all established. I don't know how I can do that as a nonbender, though. I mean, everyone else's future has been all but set in stone since their bending abilities became apparent. When you abdicate the throne — or die — Izumi will succeed you as the Fire Lord. Kya will become a healer. Tenzin will have children and repopulate the Air Nomads, and eventually train the next Avatar in airbending. And even though Lin is still a toddler, we all think that she's going to join Aunt Toph's Metalbending Police Force. But me?" I shoot Uncle Zuko a desperate, frustrated look. "What am I supposed to do? I'm not a bender, so I don't have a set destiny like everyone else. I can fight and I can sail, and that's about it. What can I do to help maintain balance with that scanty set of skills?"

"Well… what about the military? You ever consider joining the United Forces?" he asks.

"No, not really," I answer. "I can't consider something I know next to nothing about. All I know about the United Forces is that it's some sort of military."

"It's the world's military," Uncle Zuko tells me. "When Aang and I were creating the United Republic of Nations out of the old Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom, Sokka suggested that we establish some sort of military to protect it, since there were rebellions going on still in some of colonies. I agreed immediately, but Aang was more hesitant, due to his pacifist nature. 'I don't want the United Republic to have a military. The Air Nomads didn't have a formal military,' he'd said. 'And look at what happened to them because of it,' I'd answered.

"While he acknowledged that I had a point, he still insisted that the creation of a military would undermine our goal of the United Republic serving as a beacon of hope that we can all coexist peacefully. We talked about the situation with Sokka and Earth King Kuei, and Sokka came up with the idea — a compromise of sorts — that a military would be created, but it would serve sort of as the military of the world, rather than as just the military of the Republic. It would serve as a supplementary force to whichever nation's military was in need of its assistance, while also serving as the military of the Republic in the sense that it would fight first and foremost for the United Republic in the event of an international war, since the United Republic doesn't have its own formal military like the other nations do."

"Wow, that's… brilliant!" I grin. "It… it ensures that the United Republic is protected, but it also encourages integration, international cooperation, and peace."

"Yes, exactly." Uncle Zuko takes a sip of his tea, then continues. "While the United Forces serves as the United Republic's first line of defense, its larger purpose is to help maintain balance throughout the world — so while the United Forces is formally affiliated with the United Republic, soldiers in the Forces go wherever they are needed, and are consequently deployed all around the world.

"The United Forces is composed of two branches," he elaborates. "The Army consists of five battalions, each with about two hundred and seventy-five soldiers. The Navy, which is the larger branch, consists of two divisions, each containing about a thousand soldiers." He shoots me a pointed look. "You could join the Navy, Bumi," he suggests. "You'd get to sail around the world while enforcing peace and maintaining balance — and since the United Forces was created by Aang, Sokka, and I, it's directly connected to our legacies."

I don't attempt to hide the smile that tugs the corners of my lips towards either side of my face. "How old do you have to be to join?" I ask excitedly.

"Sixteen."

When I go to respond, Uncle Zuko holds up his hand to signal me to be quiet. "You can join when you're sixteen if — and _only_ if — you have parental permission. Aang, for reasons I still don't understand, insisted on upping the age requirement to eighteen. I consented… on the condition that people could join at sixteen so long as their parents gave their written consent."

"What? Why would you do that?" I whine, my voice indignant. "My mother will never consent to my joining the Forces!" I cross my arms over my chest and pout. "She was devastated when Grandpa left to join the war efforts. She'll never let her son do the same."

"Well, perhaps Aang can convince her to consent when the time comes," Uncle Zuko replies, shrugging. "You've still got a while to wait in the meantime, though, Bumi. You don't even turn _fifteen_ for another couple of months — which is good because joining the United Forces is a serious decision. Once someone enlists, there's no getting out until their contract is up. If you join, you'd be giving your life to the organization four years at a time. You ought to think long and hard about—."

"I don't _care_ , Uncle!" I exclaim. "I'm willing to give my life to the Forces. If I join, I'll be able to do what I love. I'll have a _purpose_ … and who knows? I might even be able to make a name for myself there besides 'the Avatar's son' or, even worse, 'the Avatar's _nonbending_ son.'"

"I can see that. I imagine you'd be quite successful there," Uncle Zuko responds, a warm smile appearing on his face as he looks at me. "I'm going to meet some of the new recruits in a couple of days — on Izumi's birthday, as luck would have it," he adds, rolling his eyes. "I'll be accompanied by Mai, as is customary, but Izumi usually tags along, too. You should come with us."

"I'd love to!" I cry, jumping up and pumping my fist.

My smile is contagious, apparently, because it quickly appears on Uncle Zuko's face; but as the corners of his lips turn upwards into a smile, he raises a finger to his mouth, signaling for me to lower my voice. I sit down again, my cheeks red and a sheepish smile on my face.

"Sorry," I apologize. "I'm just excited. I'd love to meet the new recruits. I'll be one of them in a couple of ye—wait! Why are _you_ going to meet them, rather than the people on the United Republic Council?"

"While the Council commands the Forces, they don't care about them — with the exception of Sokka, of course," Uncle Zuko explains, dismissing the Council with a wave of his hand. "There are also no training grounds in the United Republic. The Army recruits train in a special military compound in the western Earth Kingdom, while the Navy recruits train in a fortified compound just outside of Harbor City in the Fire Nation Capital.

"The United Forces branches host two six-month-long boot camps: one in January and one in July. The second round of recruits for this year just finished their first month of boot camp, and since the Navy's training grounds are in Capital City, it is my job to visit and thank the recruits for their sacrifice, as well as the current soldiers for their service," Uncle Zuko continues. "I'll be attending their graduation from boot camp, too, but that won't be until the end of the year. You'll have long since returned to Republic City by then."

"Well, that makes sense… but why are the training grounds in the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation to begin with?" I ask, shooting him a confused look. "I get that the Council isn't very concerned with the Forces, but the organization is still affiliated with the United Republic, so shouldn't the training grounds be _located_ in the Republic?"

"Yes… but just because something _should be_ doesn't mean something _is_ ," Uncle Zuko answers. "When Aang, Sokka, and I were still discussing the mere idea of the United Forces, we quickly realized that we would need generals and admirals to train the new recruits, as well as experienced soldiers to get the ball rolling until the first batch of recruits were trained. We asked the Earth King, King Kuei, to send whoever he could; and in the meantime, Sokka gathered some warriors from the Water Tribe and I scouted my troops for volunteers. We got some Water Tribe soldiers to join us, but not many, since there weren't a lot to spare. The majority of the men, as well as all of the officers, came from the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation.

"King Kuei and I requested that our soldiers be granted United Republic citizenship, and after the newly-formed Council agreed, we did the paperwork required to transfer our men from our respective militaries to the United Forces. We wanted to make the transition easy on our men, though, so we established United Forces training grounds in our own nations — and it just stuck, since Aang didn't want the Republic to have a visible military presence." He grabs the gold chain around his neck and toys with it for a second or two, then smirks mischievously. "It also allows the Earth monarch and the Fire Lord to have some influence over the United Forces, should it ever turn into _just_ the military of the Republic." He taps his temple with his finger, the devious smirk still on his face. "You've got to think ahead, Bumi. Strategy is important — especially when it comes to military affairs."

"You're a genius, Uncle Zuko," I laugh.

"I wouldn't go that far," he chuckles. "I want to do what's best for the world, but as the Fire Lord, I am obligated to do what's best for the Fire Nation. While what's best for the world is usually what's best for the Fire Nation, I recognize that that might not always be the case — and I have tried to prepare accordingly."

Uncle Zuko takes one last sip of his tea, then, grabbing his cup and the kettle, stands up and deposits them in the sink to be washed in the morning. "Come on, kid, let's go to bed," he urges, walking up behind me and laying a hand on my shoulder. "It's late."

My exhaustion hits me like a brick, and after I let out a giant yawn and set my teacup in the sink, I follow Uncle Zuko out of the kitchen and down the hallway. When we reach the bedroom he let me claim as mine, he gives me a hug; then he continues on down to the master suite he shares with Aunt Mai. I don't wait for him to enter the suite before walking into my own room.

I walk over to the window and say goodnight to Yue, then shut the window and crawl into bed, eager to be lulled to sleep by visions of me commanding a ship full of sailors.


	11. Strength vs Strategy

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Spirits, Bumi, how did you get _so_ good in such a _short_ amount of time?"

"I had a good teacher," I answer, smirking as I watch Izumi tug helplessly at the side of her dress, which is pinned to the tree behind her by one of my knives.

"What are you _doing_ , Bumi?"

I glance over my shoulder and see Mom leaning over the edge of Appa's saddle, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at Izumi and me, and my heart sinks at the realization that, now that they're here, I have to say goodbye to the princess.

"I guess this means it's time to say goodbye," I sigh, turning back towards Izumi. I yank the knife out of the tree trunk and return it to the sheath I'm wearing beneath my sleeveless tunic.

"No, not yet," Dad disagrees, airbending himself off of Appa as soon as the bison lands.

I watch as Kya slides down Appa's tail and darts towards me, her arms open. When she's close to me, she jumps up and throws herself into my arms. I catch her and swing her around in a circle for a minute before drawing her closer to me and giving her a hug. "Hiya, Kya," I smirk. "How are you?"

"I'm great! I mastered a new waterbending move! How are you? I've missed you so much! What were you doing with Izumi?"

I can't help but laugh at how fast she talks. "Congratulations," I smile. "I've missed you, too, my little mermaid," I add, gently nudging her cheek with my fist. "And Izumi was nice enough to teach me a new skill, so we were practicing."

She buries her face in my shoulder and clings to me like she thought she would never see me again, but after a minute Mom comes to my rescue and convinces Kya to get off me. As soon as she's on the ground, though, Mom pulls me into a hug.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Bumi. It's been forever since I've given you a hug," she says, taking a step back to appraise me. "And the island has been so… _quiet_ … without you." She laughs, then tousles my already wild hair. "You should have written to us! We've all missed you so much."

I glance behind Mom, at where Tenzin is standing, one hand clutching Dad's robes and the other fiddling with a loose string dangling from his own. "Even the cue ball?" I wonder.

Tenzin stares at me, his head cocked, still clueless as to what "cue ball" means as well as to why I call him that.

"Did you miss me, Tenzin?" I clarify.

He nods his head, then releases Dad's robes and takes a few hesitant steps towards me. "You were gone for a long time, Bumi," he says.

I shrug. "I've only been gone a month."

 _It's so weird… a month ago, a month seemed like such a long time; but it seems like I only just arrived here a few days ago_ , I think.

"You'll be staying here for another two weeks, too," Dad announces, finally walking over to me and giving me a brief hug. "We all will."

"Are you serious?" I ask.

"Yes," Dad answers. He glances at Izumi, then returns his attention towards me.

"Wahoo!" I yell, jumping up into the air.

"You could've fooled me into thinking you're an airbender, what with how high you—," Dad starts, his voice tinged with laughter.

"Aang!" Uncle Zuko calls out, interrupting Dad. "It's great to see you again, Katara," he adds, clasping Mom's hands as he walks out of the house. "I asked Mai to make some tea for us, so she's in the kitchen. We can go inside and catch up over some nice Jasmine tea if you'd like."

"Oh, that sounds lovely, Zuko!" Mom replies. She smiles and gives Zuko a quick kiss on the cheek. "We've a lot to talk about, I'm sure. It's been so long."

"Yes, it has," Uncle Zuko concurs. He releases Mom's hands, then turns towards his daughter. "Come inside with us, Izumi. You can get Kya and Tenzin situated in their rooms," he says, taking from Mom the suitcases that contain my family's change of clothes for the next two weeks.

"Okay, Dad," Izumi chirps. She gives me a chaste kiss on the cheek before grabbing my siblings' hands and following our parents into the house.

Once Dad and I are alone on the courtyard — save for Appa, of course — he shoots me an amused look. "I see you and Izumi are getting along," he notes.

 _If he only knew…_ I think, recalling the other night, when Izumi and I finally had sex. It had been slightly awkward at first since it was the first time for both of us, but we got the hang of it quickly and spent the entire night making love. "Yeah…" I reply, desire stirring in my groin at the thought of being inside the princess again.

"I'm glad. Did you take my advice and talk to Zuko?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"You were right. He gave me some good advice." I glance towards the beach house, then return my attention to Dad. "Uncle Zuko and I are more alike than I ever would have thought," I add.

"Good. I… I'm glad I was right."

I can tell from the tone of Dad's voice that he's nervous, so I decide to console him.

"Come on, Dad," I start, smiling at him. "It's alright. I'm okay. I'm not upset that I was forced to come here. I'm grateful, in fact." I reach up to lay a hand on his shoulder, and as soon as I do, the majority of his tension disappears. "You were right — being here did wonders for my spirit. Spending a few weeks on Ember Island has revitalized me, and talking to Uncle Zuko has helped me. I mean, of course there are things that he couldn't fix — the same things that _no one_ can fix…" I continue, and I can tell from Dad's expression that he knows I'm talking about my inability to bend, "but he _did_ help me come to terms with those things as best as I can." I let my hand fall to my side, but I keep my gaze plastered on my father. "I've had a good time here, and I'm more confident than ever. I'm good — really, I am."

"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that, Bumi," Dad says softly, enveloping me in a hug. "You're so unpredictable, so I wasn't sure if this would work out — but I'm glad to hear that it did." He takes a step back, and as I watch him look at me, I notice his robes swishing around due to the breeze. "I couldn't help you, and I felt so bad about it," he reveals. "I'm happy Zuko was able to bring you some peace."

"Yeah. I like Uncle Zuko more than I remembered," I laugh.

"He's got a heart of gold. You've just got to get through multiple layers of angst and awkwardness to find it," Dad chuckles. "He—."

"Daddy! Daddy!" Kya interrupts, running out of the house and over towards us. Mom walks out behind her, balancing Tenzin against her hip. "Uncle Zuko said we should go down to the beach! Can we? Can we? I want to go to the beach!"

I don't give Dad a chance to respond before I tell Kya that I'll carry her down to the beach. She jumps onto me and wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, and I take off running down the path that leads to the beach, ignoring the shocked looks on my parents' faces.

When we reach the beach, I crouch down so Kya can slide off me safely. She quickly removes all of her clothes except the sarashi tied around her chest and hips, then stares at me impatiently as I undress. I drop my clothes on the sand, near her clothes, then grab her hand and lead her into the water. When we reach the shore, she grins at me. "Check out what I can do now, Bumi!" she orders. I don't have time to respond before she draws the water into a cloak that covers all but her head and forms two tentacle-like arms.

"Ooh, the water cloak! Good job, Kya!"

She smiles proudly and waves the tentacles around as if in a show, then narrows her eyes and hurls one tentacle at me. It wraps around me and flings me into the sea. I fall backwards into the water, landing just before the dip.

"Bumi!"

I look over Kya's shoulder and see Dad speeding towards us on an air scooter. Mom, who's still holding Tenzin against her hip, is a few feet behind him, running as if a monster is chasing her. I can't help but laugh at the sight.

When I get a grip, I turn back towards Kya, whose small body is still sheathed by the water cloak, and grin evilly. "You want a fight, huh? Okay, then. Let's fight!"

"You're challenging a waterbender to a fight in the ocean?" she responds, her high voice laced with laughter.

"No, I'm challenging my little sister to a fight in the ocean," I correct, subtly swimming back another couple of feet until I'm floating a good distance beyond the dip.

"Well, alright, Bumi." She abandons her water cloak, but quickly manipulates the water into a surfboard made out of ice. She hops onto it, then glides across the water towards me. As she surfs, she draws the surrounding water up and sends a barrage of small shards of ice towards me. I dodge the larger ones and block the smaller ones with my arms.

When Kya is within arm distance of me, I dive underneath the water and push up on her iceboard, overturning it and sending her into the water, which gets a lot deeper beyond the dip. She screams, but her yell is cut short as the waves pull her underwater.

I swim to the surface and start laughing as soon as I resurface. When Kya's head is above water again, I skim my arm across the surface of the water, creating a small wave that washes over her bobbing head. She sputters for a second and glowers at me as she spits up water, then narrows her eyes and raises her arms in the air, calling up a massive wave. She flicks her hands in my direction, and the wave picks me up and carries me backwards. It dissipates only after it crashes onto the shore and drops me near Dad's feet.

"Can you beat _that_ wave, Bumi?" Kya asks, calling out to me from where she's floating beyond the dip, a triumphant smile on her face.

"I don't think so, baby girl," I answer, smirking because I know that the nickname annoys her.

"Uh… Bumi?"

I turn around and grin at the sight of my parents' shocked faces. "Hey, guys, long time no see," I joke.

"You were… in the… the water…" Mom stammers, a look of disbelief on her face. She's smiling, but her eyes are full of thus-far-unshed tears.

"So?" I shoot her a look of faux apathy, as if my being in the water isn't notable.

"Oh, Bumi…" she murmurs. She wraps her arms around me and draws me close to her, her tears now streaming down her face. I smile as she nestles her head against my shoulder.

"Come on, Mom," I whisper, rubbing her now-bare back softly. "Quit tearbending, would ya?"

She giggles and withdraws, but she keeps her hands on my shoulders as she looks at me, her sapphire eyes still watery. "I just… you…" She chokes back some more tears, then cocks her head at me, a curious expression on her face. "What changed, Bumi?" she asks softly.

"Uncle Zuko made me realize that being able to adapt to a situation is more useful than being able to control a situation… because anyone can lose control at any time," I answer.

I see Mom glance at Dad, who's standing some feet away. He's listening to us, but he's also watching Tenzin, who's crouched down beside him, attempting to build a sandcastle. He's still fully clothed, even though the rest of us are in our undergarments. _Typical Tenzin_ , I think.

When Mom turns back towards me, I see that her smile stretches from ear to ear. "Yes, it is, Bumi. It is." She reaches up and tousles my hair, which isn't as wild as it was before since it's now soaking wet and, for the most part, plastered to my face.

"Aw, come on, Mom, cut it out!" I whine, even though I'm not really upset.

She lets her hand fall to her side again, then steals another glance at Dad. He smiles.

"Mom! Mom!"

"What is it, Kya?" Mom inquires. She turns to her left, where Kya now stands.

"Do you want to race me on an iceboard?" Kya asks, staring up at our mother with big blue eyes.

"Okay, sweetie, I'll race you," Mom answers, her voice calm but also cheerful. She gives me a peck on the cheek, then grabs Kya's hand and starts leading her back towards the water.

"Yay!"

I start to head back into the water myself, then decide against it, not wanting to get run over during the race. I walk over to where Dad and Tenzin are instead and find Dad trying to comfort a now-whimpering Tenzin — but the bald little boy is having none of it, and is using his airbending to blow Dad backwards.

"Whoa, what's going on over here?" I ask when I reach them.

"The sand keeps falling down!" Tenzin cries.

Dad starts to pick up the sobbing child, but Tenzin blows another gust of air at him; and after he gets his bearings, Dad concedes defeat to the almost-five-year-old boy and sits back.

I shoot Tenzin a bemused look. "The sand is doing what now?"

He looks up at me, tear-stained cheeks and all. "I told Daddy I could make a better sandcastle than him, but the sand keeps falling down so I can't!" he explains before bursting into tears again.

"Aw, come on, Ten-Ten, stop that." I crouch down next to the boy and gently lay an arm around his small shoulders. "I'll help you build a sandcastle, little bro."

He sniffles. "You're not an earthbender, though."

"So?"

"Daddy _is_ an earthbender! He can bend the sand to make a really _good_ castle!"

"So?" I repeat. "Yeah, Dad can sandbend, but that doesn't mean he's a good artist!"

"You think we can make a better sandcastle, Bumi?" Tenzin asks me.

"Sure!" I exclaim. "Okay, Ten-Ten, wait here for a minute and I'll come back and show you the trick to getting the sand to not fall down."

I don't wait for Tenzin to respond before I grab the three buckets that Dad laid on the beach blanket he set up before and walk down to the shore. I bend down and scoop up the wet sand from the shore, and when all three buckets are full, I head back towards Tenzin.

"Okay, Tenzin, here's the trick," I start as I lower myself down onto the sand. "Sand will stay upright if it's wet — that's why I collected some from the shore." I turn the first bucket upside down, then slowly lift it up. The damp sand remains in a cylindrical shape. It's wider on the bottom than it is on the top, and it's about two and a half fists wide at its widest point. "You see?" I turn towards Tenzin and see him staring at the shape, amazed. "We have the base of the first castle now," I tell him, a small smile creeping onto my face as I speak. "We'll do the second and third castles, then decorate all of them, okay?"

I watch Tenzin nod his head, then follow his gaze, which is now focused on our father. I can tell he's listening to us because there's a contented smile on his face, but he's going to great lengths to hide the fact that we have his full attention.

"I've been working on my sandbending… but what sort of castle should I make?" he wonders aloud. "If I sculpt Ba Sing Se like Toph did that one time, would that count as a castle?" He cracks his knuckles, then strokes his short beard, as if deep in thought. "Hmm… perhaps I should go for simple but elegant? I don't know… hmm…"

I can't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of Dad's rambling. He can make a sandcastle with a simple flick of the wrist, but he's obviously stalling to give Tenzin and me time to make ours.

"Hey, Bumi?"

I turn back towards Tenzin and smile as I hand him the second bucket. "Here."

He takes it in his hands, but before he can flip it over I lay my hands over his and guide the bucket to one side of our first castle. When it's in a good spot, I guide it towards the ground, then help Tenzin flip it over and shake the bucket off the sandy sculpture. We do the same with the third bucket, and after our third castle has been erected I grab one of the knives stored inside my sheath (which Dad moved onto the beach blanket). I twirl it around in my hand as I attempt to think of a design with which to decorate our simple sandcastles.

"Why do you have a bunch of knives, Bumi?" Tenzin asks me, interrupting my thoughts.

"I've been learning how to throw them," I answer. "Izumi has been teaching me… although between you and me, Ten-Ten, I think _I_ could show _her_ a thing or two now!"

"Why would you want to learn how to throw knives?" Tenzin asks, cocking his little head and shooting me a curious look. He doesn't seem the least bit impressed. "Isn't it dangerous?"

"Yeah, it could be… if you do it badly."

"Why would you do it, then?"

"Well… because I can. It's like… well, just like you would send a gust of air at someone, I would throw a knife at them." _Yeah, that doesn't sound violent at all, Bumi…_ I think, a little ashamed at my terrible explanation. "And besides, _anything_ can be dangerous if done badly," I add in an attempt to save myself.

I don't shrivel under Tenzin's gaze as he stares at me, confused and slightly horrified, but I am immensely relieved when he shifts his attention back to our sandcastles and changes the subject. "They aren't very pretty," he observes, his voice sad.

"No, they're not… _yet_. Give me a minute, bud."

I get to work on the castle in the center, the one we made first. I carve an impressive door into the bottom of it, as well as some square windows, each with its own set of shutters, which I give a wooden design. When I finish the windows' shutters, I carve a stone-like design into the entire castle with my knife.

"Ooh, that looks good, Bumi!"

I smile at Tenzin, then crouch down in front of the second castle we made. I carve some stairs leading from the castle's roof to the sand below, dragging my knife horizontally across each one to ensure that each step is flat, and then give it the same design as the first castle. When I finish, I get to work on the third castle. I'm not as creative as I pretend to be, so it gets the same stone-like design and windows with wooden shutters as the other two castles. I thin the third castle's roof, though, until only a cylinder of sand in the center is left. I sculpt the top of the cylinder into a triangular turret, then slice off a small piece of fabric from my loincloth and tie it to a small, thin twig sticking out of the sand. I set it atop the turret, and the ocean breeze makes it wave like a flag.

"Aw, it's a flag!"

"Yep."

I carve the Air nomad symbol into the roof of the triangular turret, then ask Tenzin to go collect some seashells and bring them back to me. He immediately gets up to go scour the beach.

Once Tenzin disappears, Dad turns to me. "Izumi's taught you to throw knives, huh?" he asks.

"Yeah," I answer, turning to look at him. "I'm good at it, too."

"It sure looked that way, from that one throw I saw from atop Appa when we first landed," Dad remarks. "It seemed like a very accurate, very precise throw — disabling, even."

"Oh, that was nothing," I shrug. "It's more impressive when she's firebending at me and I manage to trap her."

"Yes, that would certainly be an impressive feat, son," Dad agrees.

I glance down at the sand, not wanting Dad to see my cheeks redden. I can't help but blush whenever he calls me "son", though, because it affirms that the world is wrong when they say I'm a failure of a son or — and this is even worse — that I'm not Aang's son at all. When Dad calls me "son", it tells me that he knows I'm his and that I'm worthy of being called his son — at least in his eyes.

When Tenzin returns a couple of seconds later, a bunch of seashells in a makeshift pouch he's formed using the outer layer of his robes, I shift my attention to him. "Ay, seashells!" I grin. "Great! Okay, just drop 'em on the ground and we'll see where they can go."

He does as instructed, and I tell him to place the seashells wherever he sees fit — and while Tenzin decorates the sandcastles, I carve a moat around the three structures, leaving a small bridge to connect the "island" on which the castles sit to the rest of the sand. I steal a couple of seashells and decorate the interior side of the moat with them, then, using my knife, carve some lines into the bridge to make it resemble wood. When I'm done, I shoot Tenzin a look, one eyebrow raised. "Well, T.?" I prompt. "What do you think?"

He studies our work for a minute, then turns to beam at me. "They look great!" he says.

I smile, then turn to appraise Dad's work. "You didn't sculpt Ba Sing Se," I comment, seeing that all he's built are three simple sandcastles that are all only barely decorated.

"Oh… well, I… I thought I should aim for simple but elegant, you know?" he shrugs.

"Yeah, of course," I respond, avoiding his gaze. I can tell that Dad knows I know he's letting us win for Tenzin's sake, and we don't have to be fortunetellers to know that if we meet each other's gaze, we'll both burst out laughing.

"Well, I… uh… I guess your mother could be the judge," Dad continues, struggling to suppress his laughter. "Hey, Katara! Can you take a break and come judge our—?"

"Ugh! No!"

We share a glance, then turn back to the scene before us and watch as Kya starts crying and screaming as she crashes her iceboard onto the shore. "Why can't I win?" she whines. She glares at Mom, who glided gracefully onto the sand a few moments before her, and balls her hands into fists. The waves behind her respond to her wrath by crashing together wildly. "I'm doing _exactly_ what you're doing, Mom! Why can't _I_ win the race? It's not fair! I want to _win_!"

"I've been waterbending a lot longer than you have, sweetie," Mom answers, sighing and squeezing the excess water out of her long, thick hair. She knows she's stuck between a rock and a hard place. She can't let Kya win because the girl will catch on and get even angrier, but she can't continue to beat her, either.

"I just want to win _once_ ," Kya continues, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.

I glance back and forth between the two waterbenders, then hear Mom sigh again. "What did you say, sweetie?" she asks Dad.

"Oh, I…" Dad glances at Kya, then turns back towards Mom. "I asked if you could judge whose sandcastle was better — the boys' or mine."

I stare at Mom as she stands in between our sandcastles, her hands on her hips, and appraises our work. She deliberates — or pretends to deliberate — for some time, but eventually she gestures towards the sandcastles Tenzin and I built. "I'm gonna have to give this round to the boys', sweetie," she decides. "The designs are more intricate on their castles… and the seashells were a nice touch."

While Dad sets his mouth in a dramatic pout, Tenzin cheers and, using his airbending, propels himself about twenty feet in the air. When he returns to the ground, he throws himself into my arms. "Thank you, Bumi!" he exclaims before stepping back and crouching down again to admire our winning sandcastles.

"You're welcome, cue ball," I laugh. I rub his head, then stand up and walk over to Kya, who's still sobbing. "Come on, Kya, don't be a sore loser," I scold her.

She wipes her eyes, then looks up at me. "I want to _win_ , though, Bumi!" she cries. "Only once! I don't think that's too much to ask for…"

I watch the waves crash together behind us, then, getting an idea, glance back at Tenzin. "I think I know how you can win," I announce, grinning.

"How?"

"Well, first, can you make a bigger surfboard?" I ask. "One large enough to fit you, me, _and_ Tenzin?"

Kya wipes away the last of her tears and nods.

"Good." I turn around to face the rest of the family. "Hey, cue ball!" I yell, causing Tenzin to look at me from where he's sandwiched in between our parents. "You owe me a favor since I helped you win the sandcastle-building contest. Come over here."

"What? I do?"

"Yes. Come here."

He walks over to where Kya and I are standing, then looks up at me expectantly.

"You're going to help Kya win a race against Mom," I inform him.

"How? I'm an airbender, not a waterbender," he responds, confusion written on his face.

"You'll see," I grin. "Okay, Kya, make an iceboard… and come over here, Mom! It's rematch time — and this time, you're going _down_!"

Mom shoots Dad a skeptical look, but quickly makes her way to the shore and creates a surfboard out of ice. Kya, meanwhile, climbs onto her iceboard and walks over to its front.

I get on next, but instead of standing in the direction opposite the beach like Mom and Kya are, I face it. Once I'm situated, I gesture for Tenzin to climb aboard. He hesitates for a few seconds, but then steps on. I wrap my arms around his waist so that he won't go flying off when we start moving, then inform Kya that we're ready.

She waterbends us out into the sea, towards and, eventually, past the dip, where there are stronger waves. We catch one at about the same time Mom does, but since Kya's waterbending isn't as good as Mom's, we start to fall behind in the race back to the shore.

"Tenzin! Air blast, now!" I yell.

"What?"

" _Now_!"

The little airbender thrusts his hands forward, towards the vast expanse of water, trusting me to hold onto him, which I do. The strong air blasts emanating from both of Tenzin's palms, combined with Kya's waterbending, catapult us past Mom and send us crashing onto the beach. The elder waterbender glides onto the shore a few seconds later.

"I won! I won!" Kya screams. She dissolves her iceboard and starts to jump up and down excitedly. She stops and blushes when she notices the pointed look Mom is shooting her.

She grins sheepishly. "I mean… _we_ won," she corrects herself, turning to face Tenzin and me. "Thank you," she says, giving the two of us a quick hug.

"Well, it wasn't graceful," I start, "but we claimed victory. Good work out there, Kya. You too, Tenzin," I add.

As the two of them beam, Dad walks over to us. He lays a hand on my shoulder and smiles down at me. "And good thinking out there, Bumi," he adds, pulling me into a hug.

I struggle out of his grasp — not because I don't like it, but because… well, I don't know. It just feels weird to be hugged by my father at my age, even if being hugged by him _does_ make me happy. "Oh, well, I… I was just testing something Uncle Zuko told me."

"What did he say?" Dad asks curiously.

"He said that, eventually, strength will have to yield to strategy," I answer. I glance over my shoulder at Kya and Tenzin, who are still beaming, then turn to look at Mom, who's standing nearby, smiling at all of us despite having just lost the race. "And he was right," I add, unable and unwilling to suppress my triumphant smile. "The strength of the greatest waterbender in the world just yielded to _my_ strategy!"

"You're a mad genius, Bumi," Dad grins, his voice laced with barely-contained laughter. "And a terrific big brother, too!"


	12. Healing

CHAPTER TWELVE

"How do you feel now, Bumi?"

"Mmnn… like the ocean tossed me like a damned salad," I answer, attempting to refrain from wincing at the stabbing pain I feel all along the left side of my body. I don't want to seem weak in front of Izumi… but I can't help but bite my lip and cradle my aching left shoulder.

"Well, I was able to heal the little scratches and get the bleeding to stop, but I can't seem to fix that deep cut on your ribs — and I don't know what to do about the pain," Kya frowns. She lets the glowing water surrounding her hands fall to the sand beneath us and sighs. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Kya," I assure her. I shrug, but regret it as, almost immediately, my discomfort increases tenfold. "You did a great job, considering how new you are at healing," I add, using all of my strength to refrain from crying out loud and simply grimacing instead. "It's no biggie. I'm fine."

"You are _not_ fine, Bumi," Izumi argues. She crosses her arms over her chest and shoots me a look, one eyebrow raised. "You should have your mother check you out. You can barely move your arm, and that gash looks ugly."

I lay a hand on my chest and contort my facial features into an offended expression. "What? I am the most handsome boy in the world, Princess!" I exclaim, only barely managing to stifle the laughter bubbling in the back of my throat.

A smile tugs at the corners of Izumi's lips, and I watch, amused, as she struggles to suppress it. "Yes, Bumi, you are," she replies. "You're still hurt, though, and I'll be damned if our last few spars are subpar because you're too injured to put up a good fight."

"I'll be fine, Princess," I assure her. "I _won't_ , however, be fine if I have to tell my mother that I was riding a flying dolphin-fish. She'll kill me for sure!"

"Okay, Bumi, I'm going to use words you understand," she starts. She walks over to me, then lays one hand on the inner part of my upper thigh. The tips of her fingers slide underneath my loincloth and just barely graze the shaft of my cock, which is surprisingly just as arousing as when she grabs it entirely. I gasp at her touch, then watch, curious, as she shifts slightly so that she's blocking young Kya's view of her hands. "You can go to Aunt Katara now and come to _me_ later," she whispers, her full, cherry-red lips tantalizingly close to my ear, "or you can _not_ go to Aunt Katara and, later tonight, not have any _fun_ with me. I wouldn't want to hurt you further, you know," she adds, desire stirring in my groin as her breath tickles my ear. She drags one finger down my length before she stands upright, and when I — reluctantly — shift my attention to her angular, pale face, I see that it is once again stoic. "It's your choice, Boom," she concludes with an impassive shrug.

"Okay, okay, I'll ask Mom to take a look at me!" I grouse. I shoot Izumi a dark look, one in which my storm-colored eyes burn with all the electricity and intensity of the lightning Uncle Zuko would aim at me if he discovered what we've been doing every night since the night of the princess's sixteenth birthday.

She again suppresses the smile threatening to overtake her face, then gestures in the direction of the long, steep path that connects her dad's beach house to the beach. "I'll come check up on you later," she tells me, her amber eyes flashing with the prurience she doesn't dare let seep into her voice with Kya standing just a few feet away.

"Okay. You won't be disappointed," I reply.

I don't let the grin spread across my face until my back is to the girls, lest Kya ask what I'm smiling about.

* * *

"… what you said to him, Zuko. It had been almost two years since Bumi went in the water! I'd started losing hope that I'd ever see him play in the ocean again."

When I hear my name, I stop so suddenly that my hand remains poised in the air, ready to knock on the door that leads into the room Uncle Zuko uses as a home office. I remain quiet, but the thought of Dad detecting me with his seismic sense and discovering me eavesdropping makes my heart race. While his seismic sense isn't as accurate as Aunt Toph's, it's still good, and since I didn't see Dad anywhere else in the house, I have to assume he's with Mom and Uncle Zuko.

"I just said that water is like fire in the sense that, after a certain point, it becomes more powerful than even the most skilled bender — and since he's not afraid of fire, he shouldn't be afraid of water," Uncle Zuko replies with a seemingly audible shrug.

"And that convinced him to go back in the water?"

"No, of course not, Katara. Bumi convinced _himself_ to go back in the water," Uncle Zuko asserts. "He'd spent so much time cowering in fear that he never had the chance to express his fear — to say out loud what about that experience was so traumatic. When we were talking, I got the vibe that he wasn't afraid of the water so much as he was that he was scared of it. He had loved the sea with all his heart, and the thought that it could kill him scared him — but he was _more_ scared of the fact that he was too scared of the water's power to actually get back in it. He had no idea how to deal with what seemed like a tangible manifestation of unrequited love, and his inability to deal with it all angered him — but just like a man shouldn't refrain from telling a woman that he loves her because he's afraid of her rejection, he… well, I told Bumi that he shouldn't be afraid of going in the water because it might overpower him. After all, _any_ element, if there's enough of it, can overpower _anyone_ — even the greatest masters. When that happens, what will matter is not whether or not one can bend the element, but whether or not one can orient themselves in unforgiving conditions — and Bumi can do that. He's adaptable, brave, and intelligent."

"Just like Sokka," Mom muses.

"Yes, just like Sokka," Uncle Zuko agrees, the faintest hint of a chuckle in his voice.

"Yeah, Bumi reminds me of Sokka, too," Dad concurs, confirming my suspicion that he was in the room, too. "I'm glad that he was receptive to you, though, Zuko," he adds. "I don't know why, but Katara and I weren't able to get through to him when we tried to talk to him."

"You probably tried talking to him too soon after the accident," Uncle Zuko opines. "And besides… you're both waterbenders, so he wouldn't have listened to you anyway. He wanted to talk to someone who couldn't waterbend — someone who was as powerless against it as he was. _I_ didn't have to be that someone, but being that water is my elemental opposite, I've never really liked dealing with it. I could relate to his helplessness in that way… and I'm sure my analogies helped some. I'll never be as great an uncle as Uncle Iroh, but I did learn _some_ things from him."

"I wish we could see Iroh more often," Mom murmurs. "I love him."

"Yeah… I miss him," Uncle Zuko seconds, his voice so soft I can barely hear it. "I still can't believe he chose to retire to the Earth Kingdom instead of the Fire Nation... but he knows he'll always have a room here if he chooses to return."

"He's a great man — a good friend, and a confidant to us all," Dad adds. " _And_ an excellent tea-maker!"

I can't help but smile at Dad's characteristic bouyancy, as well as at the statement itself — because it's true that Great Uncle Iroh is my good friend and confidant. While we aren't able to get together often due to the distance between us, we have great conversations and a lot of fun whenever we _do_ cross paths. We always drink tea while we play Pai Sho, and listening to him talk is always entertaining because he speaks almost entirely in analogies and proverbs. He's a kind, warm soul, and he never fails to make me roar with laughter — but he knows when to be serious, too. When I complained about how Dad's identity as the Avatar always causes drama, he answered so wisely I can still remember the response. "You have an unusual battle advantage because your dad is the Avatar, my young warrior," he said. "You, Kya, and the new baby are the only ones in the world who have the luxury of having all four bending arts practiced in their immediate family. You can train against water, earth, fire, and even air, and learn the ins and outs of each type of bender's attacks. You have the advantage of being able to learn everything, and because of that advantage, you will be ready for _anything_. You are the Avatar's son, Bumi, and that is one of your greatest advantages and strengths. You were born to be great, my young warrior."

"… for everything you've done for Bumi, Zuko. How can we ever repay you?"

 _I guess their conversation didn't stop just because I stopped listening to think about Great Uncle Iroh_ , I realize, turning my attention back towards the conversation being held behind the closed door as soon as I hear my name again.

"There's no need for you two to repay me, Katara," Uncle Zuko answers. "I haven't done anything!"

"You're wrong, Zuko," Mom contests.

"I agree with Katara," Dad interjects. "You did in less than a month what neither Katara nor I were able to do in almost two years. You brought Bumi out of the depths of his despair and helped him conquer the fear that's plagued him ever since the incident with Sokka. Thanks to you, our son is behaving like himself once again. We're eternally grateful."

"Aang's right, Zuko. You have no idea how grateful we are — how grateful _I_ am," Mom continues. "It hurt me each time Bumi said that the water was cruel or screamed in fear of what I love so dearly — what I feel is such an intrinsic part of me — especially since he'd always loved the ocean. He's not a waterbender, but he embraced Water Tribe culture so readily and so wholeheartedly — and whenever I saw him follow Sokka onto a ship and command the water my brother and I owe our culture, our lives, to… it filled me with such pride. When I saw him fearlessly dive into the sea our first day here… well, that joy is rivaled by only a very select few moments in my life."

"I'm touched, Katara, really. I'm glad I could help." I hear something that sounds like pieces of fabric being mashed together, but my mental image of Mom and Uncle Zuko hugging disappears as soon as the latter continues. "Oh! Speaking of Sokka, Bumi told me—."

I choose this moment to open the door and make my presence known because I don't want Uncle Zuko to tell Mom and Dad that I want to ask Uncle Sokka to take me ice dodging. _I_ want to be the one to tell them so that I can see the look on Mom's face. She'll be so happy.

"Bumi!" Mom exclaims before I can even greet the three of them. "What in the _world_ happened to you? Are you okay? Of course not, what a stupid question! What _happened_?"

"Calm down, Mom," I laugh, even though it hurts to do so. "I'm alright. Kya was able to stop the bleeding."

"Bleeding?!" she screeches. She scrutinizes me, and when her eyes land on the left side of my ribcage, they widen considerably.

I glance down at the deep gash. It's about five inches in length and surrounded by dried blood and a large purplish-blue bruise, and it's so sore that the mere air in the room is enough to make it ache. "Yeah… Kya couldn't heal this one. She managed to get it to stop bleeding, but…"

I watch as Mom's hands fly to the water skin at her hip. She pops open the lid, and once the water around her hands starts to glow, she crouches down so that she's even with my ribcage and places her palms over me. The water caresses and tickles my skin, and slowly but surely, the bruise begins to fade and the pain disappears.

Once she's done all her healing abilities enable her to do with the gash, she moves to my shoulder, which I've resumed cradling. She swats my hand off the joint, then clicks her tongue and shoots me a look. "It's dislocated," she informs me as she uses her magic water to [almost] painlessly pop my shoulder back into place. She keeps her hands poised above my shoulder for a couple of seconds, until the stinging pain disappears, then glides her hands down my side, healing what Kya couldn't. When she's satisfied with the state of my injuries, she guides the water back into the pouch at her side and assumes a more aggressive expression.

I stare at Mom as she stands in front of me with her head cocked and her hands on her hips, waiting for an explanation, and as I do I decide that there's no use in lying. I'm a mediocre liar… but even if I were as good as Azula, Dad would be able to tell whether or not I'm telling the truth. I don't know whether Aunt Toph taught him how to use his earthbending skills to "see" people's heartbeats and detect lies or if he has some sort of special Avatar power that alerts him whenever someone isn't telling the truth or if he's just a good judge of character, but he can almost always tell when someone is being dishonest.

"Well, I…" I smile sheepishly and glance at Dad and Uncle Zuko — both of whom are wearing curious expressions on their faces — then return my gaze to Mom. "I _may or may not_ have swam out far enough to find a flying dolphin-fish to ride, and I _may or may not_ have fallen off of it and got thrown against the rocks on the beach after a giant wave washed over us."

We all whip our heads towards Dad when he bursts out laughing; but while Uncle Zuko and I grin, Mom simply shakes her head and shoots him a harsh look. "Well, despite what the newspapers say, there is _no doubt_ that Bumi is _your_ son, Aang," she says, rubbing her temples, exasperation written on her face. "He's _all you_. Spirits help me with this child of ours!"

She starts to storm out of the room, but just before she crosses the threshold she turns back towards me and jabs a finger in my direction. "You are _not_ to ride the flying dolphin-fish ever again!" she commands. "If you do… well, have fun healing yourself when that thing kills you!"

She stomps out into the corridor, her hands balled into fists at her sides, then slams the door behind her. Once her footsteps start to fade, _I_ burst out laughing.

I laugh for a few minutes, but once I manage to compose myself, Dad opens his arms and smiles at me. "Come here, my son," he instructs.

I run into his arms, knocking him backwards, but he recovers quickly enough and doesn't do anything but laugh and tousle my damp hair. "You know, Bumi, I think a trip to Omashu is long overdue," he says, wagging his eyebrows so as to let me know that, if we visit Omashu, one of the things we'll be doing is riding the mail system just like he and my namesake, King Bumi of Omashu, used to. "What do you think? We can go alone, too — just the two of us, so your mother can't yell at us!"

I step back just far enough to enable me to look at him, and as soon as I focus my storm-colored irises on Dad's identical ones, a grin spreads across my face. The happiness bubbling up inside me has made its way to my throat, so I can't do anything except grin like an idiot and bury my face into his chest again, all thoughts unrelated to the thought of going adventuring with Dad temporarily forgotten.


	13. Until Next Time

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"We know you were upset that you were forced to spend your summer vacation here with us," Uncle Zuko states matter-of-factly, one arm slung around Aunt Mai's waist as the two of them watch me shove the last of my things into the suitcase on the bed, "but we hope that you got as much out of your forced vacation as Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, and I did out of ours all those years ago." He turns his head slightly to get a better view of Aunt Mai, who's standing to his left. "Do you remember that vacation, Mai?" he asks.

"How could I forget it?" she answers flatly. "Lo and Li damn near blinded us when they stripped down to their bathing suits." She shudders at the memory, then resumes twirling one of her knives.

"Yeah… I never did thank you for covering my eyes, did I?" Uncle Zuko chuckles.

"No, you didn't," Aunt Mai responds, the small smirk on her angular face contrasting with her monotone voice.

"Well, _thank you_ , Mai. If I had seen them, I just might have gone to my father and asked him to burn my _other_ eye," Uncle Zuko chuckles again. He brushes his finger against Aunt Mai's cheek and smiles genially, then returns his gaze to me. "When we arrived here we were all in a bad mood, and Azula's advisors said that Ember Island was a magical place and that we should give it a chance."

"The only 'magical' thing that happened while we were here was that we were able to be _normal_ teenagers for once, since those dumbasses didn't know who you and Azula were," Aunt Mai interjects.

"Yeah… dumbasses…" Uncle Zuko mutters. He casts his gaze downwards in an attempt to hide his anger at the "dumbasses" whose identities I do not know, then shakes his head and returns his attention to me. "Anyway…" he continues, "Azula's advisors said that if we gave the island a chance it could help us understand ourselves and each other better because the beach has a special way of… how did they phrase it? 'Smoothing even the most ragged edges?'" He drags his fingers through his dark hair — carefully, so as not to mess up his topknot — then shrugs. "I learned a lot about myself and had a lot of fun on that vacation, and I hope you did, too, Bumi. I understand what it's like to live in your father's shadow… to sometimes be overshadowed by your prodigious siblings… and to feel like you're always choosing the wrong thing to do. I get it — but remember that so long as you do what's right for you, it's the right thing, and that you are every bit as amazing as your siblings. You are just as much your father's son as they are, Bumi. I see so much of Aang in you."

I hide the blush spreading across my cheeks by bowing my head. When I can feel it fading, I lift it up and look back at Uncle Zuko and Aunt Mai. "Thank you, Uncle," I say, smiling warmly at Uncle Zuko. "I'm glad that I was forced to come here. I had a great time, and I learned so much — not just a new skill, but also things about myself and my place in the world." I glance down at the wooden floor and run my fingers through my wild hair. "I've found the inner peace I lost years ago. I've accepted the cards I've been dealt, and for the first time in my life, when I think about my future, I can imagine something." I square my shoulders and meet his gaze again, smirking slightly as I do so. "I'd say that you helped me more than you could ever know, but we're so alike, I think you actually _do_ understand."

He smiles and opens his arms out, and I walk over to him and give him a quick hug. "I do understand," he affirms. "I'm sort of sad to see you leave, but I know that I'll see you again amongst the United Forces' newest recruits in a couple of years — if not sooner," he adds, winking at me with his unscarred eye.

I grin, then walk over to the bed and retrieve my bags. I sling the duffel bag over my right shoulder — since Mom ordered me to let the previously-dislocated left one rest — then zip up and grab hold of my suitcase and follow Uncle Zuko and Aunt Mai out of the house and into the courtyard, where their daughter and my family are waiting. Appa greets me with a roar as soon as he sees me, and as I scan the area I notice that Izumi is standing on one side and my family is standing on the other, in front of Appa.

I start to walk over to them, but before I can close the distance between us I stop and start towards Izumi instead, remembering that I still have to say goodbye to her. I'd started to do so last night, after we finished making love for what I assume was the last time in a long while, but she shut me down immediately — and since I had to start packing as soon as we finished breakfast this morning, I haven't really talked to her today.

When I'm close enough to do so, I lay one hand on Izumi's slender waist, then cup her cheek with the other hand and lean in for a soft, sweet kiss. She returns it, and by the time I break the kiss, her cheeks are rosy. I have no idea whether the color comes from embarrassment, the heat, or passion, but it doesn't matter to me.

"I… I have to go back to Republic City now," I say lamely.

"Yeah… I know."

I start to respond, but the words catch in my throat as I stare at Izumi — at her fair skin, which is soft to the touch but able to withstand attacks of surprising strength before displaying any sign of damage; at her amber eyes, which are now coated with a glassy look; at her cherry-red lips; at her angular jaw, which is so reminiscent of her mother's; at her ample chest and the curvature of her slender but strong physique; and at the Fire Nation insignia that's emblazoned on her chest, near her heart. The knowledge that I have to leave her behind tugs painfully at my heart. I want to take her delicate, manicured hand in mine and lead her onto Appa and bring her back to the United Republic with me — but I can't. The golden headpiece that sits atop her head, holding her topknot in place, serves as a blatant reminder that, as the Crown Princess, Izumi belongs here. She's of a marriageable age now, and I can't keep her to myself and bar her from seeing suitors, as is custom all over the world once a girl of noble descent reaches the age of sixteen. It would be selfish to do that. I mean, how could I ask her to abandon her home, her people, her country, her _destiny_? I can't!

I can't just up and move here, to the Fire Nation, to be her suitor, though. I can't abandon everyone back home that I know and love any more than she can — and besides, if I move here, it would be for the sole purpose of courting Izumi, which would mean that all I would be is her betrothed. While all I am in the United Republic is the Avatar's nonbending son, at least there are _some_ people there who see me for _me_ — and that wouldn't be the case if I were to relocate to the Fire Nation.

I love Izumi, but I don't love the thought of being defined by my relationship with her — and ever since the night of her debutante ball, which was held about a week after her sixteenth birthday, I've feared that, should we continue our relationship, that's what will happen.

 _Hello, I'm Bumi, the betrothed to Princess Izumi, the daughter of Fire Lord Zuko and the heir to the Fire Nation throne. How do you do?_

I shudder at the thought of introducing myself in such a manner.

"What's going to happen to us, Bumi?" Izumi queries, drawing me out of my cogitations. She stares at me, her cheeks dry but her eyes watery. "Does 'goodbye' mean 'we're through?'"

"No, Princess," I answer, my voice more confident than I am. I nudge her cheek with my finger and smile at her, even though inside my mind rages a tornado more powerful than any storm I've ever seen Dad create. "We don't have to be — at least not for forever. 'Goodbye' just means… it means 'until next time.'"

"Okay… but… until next time, it's over?" she asks, her voice so soft I barely hear it.

I take her hands in mine. "Well, it could be a while until we're together again," I answer, attempting to reason with her and to convince myself that I'm doing the right thing. _When will I return to the Fire Nation? A month from now? A year? Three years? Five years? Never?_ "You're going to have a million suitors knocking at your door now that you're sixteen, Princess. You ought to give one or more of them a chance. You can't and shouldn't let the fire inside you starve in my absence."

The smallest of smiles appears on Izumi's face. "I don't think anyone else can feed it, Bumi," she replies.

"Well, at least give them a chance to try," I command. I glance down at the ground and bite my lip, taking a second to work up the courage I need to… to break up with Izumi? I don't even know what I want to do right now. I love her, but it will likely be _years_ before I can again spend any significant amount of time with her — and how can we have a stable relationship if we never see each other?

 _And do I really want my identity to be defined by my relationship with her?_

I banish that thought from my mind with a shake of my head, then continue. "If they fail, we'll know that we're meant to be together," I say.

"I guess," she sighs.

I offer her a small smile and tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "We have to go our separate ways — at least for now," I say. "You belong here… and for the time being, my place is in the United Republic." I give her hand a squeeze and don't let my smile waver, even though all I want to do is drop the act and acknowledge that my heart is breaking. "I don't want to do this, either, Princess — but I don't know how long we'll be apart, and… well, and now that you're sixteen…"

I don't even have to complete the thought. The expression on Izumi's face makes it clear that she knows _exactly_ what I'm talking about.

She's sixteen now, which is the marriageable age all across the world, and a couple of days ago, a ball was thrown in her honor. It was an extravagant affair — Uncle Zuko had spared no expense — and even Aunt Toph, Lin, and Uncle Sokka came in to celebrate Izumi's coming of age. It took all of fifteen minutes for me to apologize to Uncle Sokka; he had accepted my apology immediately, just like Uncle Zuko had promised me he would.

Since I felt confident that all was alright again between Uncle Sokka and me, I spent the remainder of the night dancing with Izumi — which did not go unnoticed by our family… or the multitude of Fire Nation noblemen who had brought their sons in the hope that _they_ would be the one lucky enough to be the recipient of the princess's attention.

I could feel the stares of irritated noblemen on my back while I danced with Izumi, but it didn't bother me because I understood the reason for their anger. The heir apparent is supposed to marry someone of Fire Nation descent so as to ensure that any and all children born to the couple will be "purebred", and I don't have an ounce of Fire Nation blood in me. While it's possible that an exception could be made for me, since the direct connection to the Avatar would be politically advantageous, it is far from guaranteed. Our children would be descended from two Avatars — Avatar Aang and his previous incarnation, Avatar Roku — but as cool as that would be, they would still only be _half_ Fire Nation… which is, in the eyes of most citizens of the Fire Nation, unacceptable. The heir to the throne should be "purebred", so as to avoid "conflicts of interest" or "split loyalties."

I understand that.

I also understand that there are dozens of young nobles who are eager to court Izumi and, if the courtship goes well, ask the Fire Lord for the princess's hand in marriage.

I _also_ understand that while Izumi can court — or not court — anyone she wishes for the next few years, her parents will — _must_ — take it upon themselves to arrange a marriage for her if she has not chosen a husband for herself by the time she turns twenty-four.

If I don't marry Izumi within the next eight years, I'll lose her forever — and she knows that as well as I do.

I love Izumi… but I don't know if I want to marry her. I don't even know if I'm _allowed_ to marry her!

 _I don't have to decide now_ , I tell myself, banishing the thought from my mind and pulling Izumi into a hug. "When I return — whenever that may be — we'll pick up right where we're leaving off now, unless you're betrothed to someone else," I vow, my lips dangerously close to her ear. "Okay?"

She stares at me for a minute, then wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me ardently, the presence of her parents and my family seemingly forgotten — and since I don't care about them at the moment, I kiss her back with all the fervent love I harbor in my heart.

"Okay," she whispers. She pulls back, and I'm delighted to see that her cheeks are flushed, that her lips look slightly swollen, and that even though her eyes are still watery, the fire that burns behind her amber irises is at least twice as bright as it was before.

"Okay," I repeat… like an idiot. I drag my fingers through my hair again, then step back to bow — in the traditional Fire Nation style, of course — to Uncle Zuko and Aunt Mai. "I am so, so grateful that you two let me stay here these past few weeks," I say. "It's been a pleasure, so thank you."

I turn to open my arms out to Izumi, and she walks into them without any hesitation. "I love you, Izumi," I say softly. "I'll always love you, no matter what happens to us. I promise." She nuzzles her head against my chest, and I cradle her to me and stroke her back as she struggles to suppress the tears threatening to fall from her closed eyes. "I'll miss you," I add, distancing her from me just enough so as to enable me to plant a chaste, gentle kiss on her lips.

When I — rather reluctantly — drag my lips away from hers, I step back to give her a Fire Nation-style bow. I give her the happiest smile I can muster, then turn around and walk towards my family. I steal one last look at Izumi as I walk up Appa's tail and join Mom, Kya, and Tenzin on Appa's saddle. We wave goodbye to Uncle Zuko, Aunt Mai, and Izumi, then Dad, who's sitting atop Appa's head, snaps the reins attached to the bison's horns. "Yip-yip!" he cries; and as soon as the words are out of his mouth, we're airborne.

As I stare over the edge of the saddle at Izumi, I try to ignore the shattering of my heart. My mind is a complete mess… but somehow I'm able to slide my hand beneath my tunic and retrieve one of the kunai knives stored in the sheath on my chest. I aim it — which isn't an easy feat, considering we're in the air and getting further and further away every second — then send it down towards Izumi. I don't see it hit her so much as I see her stumble as the hem of her dress gets pinned to the ground.

"What was that for?!" she screams, partially out of surprise and partially so I can hear her over the wind.

"It was so you'll have something to remember me by!" I shout back, gripping the edge of the saddle and grinning like a madman. My eyes sparkle with delight even as my sorrow threatens to drag my heart down to my stomach.

I watch, contented, as Izumi shakes her head and then extracts the knife from the compacted soil. She gestures to the blade, then gives me a thumbs-up, as if to commend my aim, and I grin.

The wind carries the words "as if I could ever forget you" from her lips to my ears, and as I sit back down, I can't help but smile. I can't speak for the princess, but those words are enough to hold _me_ over… at least until next time.


End file.
